FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 Qualifiers – UEFA (Matchday 1)

3 March 2026

Ireland – France
Referee: Tess Olofsson SWE (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Almira Spahić SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Tilde Larsson SWE
Fourth Official: Lovisa Johansson SWE
Referee Observer: Eleni Kyriou GRE

Bulgaria – Croatia
Referee: Araksya Saribekyan ARM
Assistant Referee 1: Liana Grigoryan ARM
Assistant Referee 2: Liana Yagmuryan ARM
Fourth Official: Sofik Torosyan ARM
Referee Observer: Nelly Viennot FRA

Azerbaijan – North Macedonia
Referee: Anna Adamska POL
Assistant Referee 1: Julia Bukarowicz POL
Assistant Referee 2: Angelika Nowak POL
Fourth Official: Michalina Diakow POL
Referee Observer: Graziella Pirriatore ITA

Bosnia and Herzegovina – Estonia
Referee: Karoline Jensen NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Line Nymoen NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Helle Reiten NOR
Fourth Official: Maren Hatletvedt NOR
Referee Observer: Esther Staubli SUI

Montenegro – Albania
Referee: Miriama Bočková SVK
Assistant Referee 1: Miroslava Pastoreková SVK
Assistant Referee 2: Martina Ukropová SVK
Fourth Official: Zuzana Valentová SVK
Referee Observer: Gyöngyi Gaál HUN

Türkiye – Malta
Referee: Maria Gil Soriano ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Silvia Fernández Pérez ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Rita Cabañero Mompó ESP
Fourth Official: Lorena Trujillano Gallardo ESP
Referee Observer: Snježana Fočić CRO

Slovakia – Latvia
Referee: Vanja Janković SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Helena Buh SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Mediha Durić SVN
Fourth Official: Aleksandra Česen SVN
Referee Observer: Carina Vitulano ITA

Kazakhstan – Armenia
Referee: Lorraine Watson SCO
Assistant Referee 1: Vikki Robertson SCO
Assistant Referee 2: Victoria Reilly SCO
Fourth Official: Lauren Whitehead SCO
Referee Observer: Olga Tanschi MDA

Romania – Moldova
Referee: Sofiya Prychyna UKR
Assistant Referee 1: Maryna Striletska UKR
Assistant Referee 2: Oleksandra Vdovina UKR
Fourth Official: Liudmyla Telbukh UKR
Referee Observer: Blaženka Logarušić CRO

Kosovo – Gibraltar
Referee: Oxana Cruc MDA
Assistant Referee 1: Natalia Ceban MDA
Assistant Referee 2: Ana Bahcivanji MDA
Fourth Official: Roman Jitari MDA
Referee Observer: Hilda McDermott IRL

Greece – Georgia
Referee: Lizzy Van Der Helm NED
Assistant Referee 1: Gerda Brežneva LTU
Assistant Referee 2: Ieva Ramanauskienė LTU
Fourth Official: Sterre Bijlsma NED
Referee Observer: Marta Atzori ITA

Germany – Slovenia
Referee: Eleni Antoniou GRE
Assistant Referee 1: Vasilia Tsiklitari GRE
Assistant Referee 2: Maria Detsi GRE
Fourth Official: Eirini Pingiou GRE
Referee Observer: Esther Azzopardi MLT

Denmark – Serbia
Referee: Abigail Byrne ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Anastasiya Voloshchuk ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Ruby Sykes ENG
Fourth Official: Grace Lowe ENG
Referee Observer: Teodora Albon ROU

Austria – Norway
Referee: Kirsty Dowle ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Georgia Ball ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Isabel Chaplin ENG
Fourth Official: Emily Heaslip ENG
Referee Observer: Antonia Kokotou GRE

Poland – Netherlands
Referee: Ivana Projkovska MKD
Assistant Referee 1: Elena Soklevska-Ilievski MKD
Assistant Referee 2: Svitlana Grushko UKR
Fourth Official: Sabina Bolić CRO
Referee Observer: Jenny Palmqvist SWE

Ukraine – England
Referee: Catarina Campos POR
Assistant Referee 1: Andreia Sousa POR
Assistant Referee 2: Vanessa Gomes POR
Fourth Official: Filipa Cunha POR
Referee Observer: Ivana Vlaić BIH

Italy – Sweden
Referee: Olatz Rivera Olmedo ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Iragartze Fernández Esesúmaga ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Eliana Fernández González ESP
Fourth Official: Beatriz Cuesta Arribas ESP
Referee Observer: Petra Pavlíková SVK

Czechia – Wales
Referee: Volha Blotskaya BLR
Assistant Referee 1: Hanna Nalivaika BLR
Assistant Referee 2: Laura Szabó HUN
Fourth Official: Valiantsina Sakalovich BLR
Referee Observer: Tanja Subotič SVN

Spain – Iceland
Referee: Emanuela Rusta ALB
Assistant Referee 1: Mirjeta Salla ALB
Assistant Referee 2: Nicoleta Bria ENG
Fourth Official: Kejsi Tafili ALB
Referee Observer: Carolina De Boeck BEL

Switzerland – Northern Ireland
Referee: Shona Shukrula NED
Assistant Referee 1: Martina Boer NED
Assistant Referee 2: Amina Gutschi AUT
Fourth Official: Manon Plandsoen NED
Referee Observer: Ingrid Jonsson SWE

Andorra – Hungary
Referee: Roxana Recorean ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Marilena Nan ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Andreea Şuşcă ROU
Fourth Official: Alina Peşu ROU
Referee Observer: Cheryl Foster WAL

Liechtenstein – Lithuania
Referee: Teresa Oliveira POR
Assistant Referee 1: Lisandra Tavares POR
Assistant Referee 2: Sara Cunha POR
Fourth Official: Sofia Gama POR
Referee Observer: Cristina Babadac ROU

Luxembourg – Scotland
Referee: Kristina Georgieva BUL
Assistant Referee 1: Pavleta Rashkova BUL
Assistant Referee 2: Liliya Dumbalakova BUL
Fourth Official: Hristiyana Guteva BUL
Referee Observer: Miroslava Migaľová SVK

Israel – Belgium
Referee: Michaela Pachtová CZE
Assistant Referee 1: Lucie Ratajová CZE
Assistant Referee 2: Tereza Holakovská CZE
Fourth Official: Helena Salkova CZE
Referee Observer: Pernilla Larsson SWE

Portugal – Finland
Referee: Franziska Wildfeuer GER
Assistant Referee 1: Daniela Göttlinger GER
Assistant Referee 2: Jasmin Matysiak GER
Fourth Official: Davina Lutz GER
Referee Observer: Sharon Sluyts BEL

AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 – Group Stage (Matches 2-8)

2 March 2026
Korea – Iran
Referee: Veronika Bernatskaia KGZ (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Amal Badhafari UAE
Assistant Referee 2: Riiohlang Dhar IND
Fourth Official: Supiree Testhomya THA
VAR: Mamdouh Al-Shadan KSA
AVAR: Meshari Al-Shamari QAT
Referee Assessor: Heba Abed JOR

3 March 2026
Korea DPR – Uzbekistan
Referee: Casey Reibelt AUS
Assistant Referee 1: Emma Kocbek AUS
Assistant Referee 2: Madelaine Allum AUS
Fourth Official: Lara Lee AUS
VAR: Katherine Jacewicz AUS
AVAR: Jumpei Iida JPN
Referee Assessor: Sachiko Yamagishi JPN

China – Bangladesh
Referee: Pansa Chaisanit THA
Assistant Referee 1: Nuannid Donjangreed THA
Assistant Referee 2: Sabreen Alabadi JOR
Fourth Official: Doumouh Albakkar LBN
VAR: Sivakorn Pu-Udom THA
AVAR: Law Bik Chi HKG
Referee Assessor: Hong Eun-Ah KOR

4 March 2026
Japan – Chinese Taipei
Referee: Oh Hyeon-Jeong KOR
Assistant Referee 1: Park Mi-Suk KOR
Assistant Referee 2: Lee Soo-Bin KOR
Fourth Official: Dong Fangyu CHN
VAR: Meshari Al-Shamari QAT
AVAR: Kim Hee-Gon KOR
Referee Assessor: Thein Aye MYA

Vietnam – India
Referee: Kim Yu-Jeong KOR
Assistant Referee 1: Heba Saadieh PLE
Assistant Referee 2: Hinthong Supawan THA
Fourth Official: Mahnaz Zokaee IRN
VAR: Muhammad Bin Jahari SIN
AVAR: Law Bik Chi HKG
Referee Assessor: Niu Huijun CHN

5 March 2026
Philippines – Korea
Referee: Le Thi Ly VIE
Assistant Referee 1: Ha Thi Phuong VIE
Assistant Referee 2: Bao Mengxiao CH
Fourth Official: Tian Jin CHN
VAR: Muhammad Bin Jahari SIN
AVAR: Sivakorn Pu-Udom THA
Referee Assessor: Heba Abed JOR

Iran – Australia
Referee: Asaka Koizumi JPN
Assistant Referee 1: Makoto Bozono JPN
Assistant Referee 2: Chihiro Ikki JPN
Fourth Official: Yoshimi Yamashita JPN
VAR: Jumpei Iida JPN
AVAR: Fu Ming CHN
Referee Assessor: Hong Eun-Ah KOR

The IFAB seeking to improve match flow and player behaviour

At its 140th Annual General Meeting (AGM), The International Football Association Board (The IFAB) approved a package of measures designed to enhance match tempo and reduce time-wasting across the game. These changes, which will be implemented at the FIFA World Cup 2026 and all other competitions, respond directly to calls from stakeholders across the football community, including The IFAB’s globally representative advisory panels, for practical tools to protect effective playing time.

Throw-ins and goal kicks

Building on last year’s widely welcomed change in the Laws to prevent goalkeepers from holding the ball for too long, the AGM confirmed the extension of the countdown principle to throw-ins and goal kicks. If the referee considers that a throw-in or goal kick is taking too long or is being deliberately delayed, a five-second visual countdown will be initiated. If the ball is not in play at the end of the countdown, the throw-in will be awarded to the opposing team; a delayed goal kick will result in a corner kick to the opposing team.

Time-limited substitutions

To further streamline match flow, substituted players must leave the field of play within 10 seconds of the substitution board being displayed or, where no board is used, upon the referee’s signal. Should the player fail to leave within this time, they must still exit the field; however, the substitute will not be permitted to enter until the first stoppage after one minute of play (running clock) has elapsed.

Off-field treatment and assessment

Where a player receives on-field assessment for an injury, or their injury causes play to be stopped, the player will be required to leave the field of play and remain off for one minute once play (running clock) has restarted.

VAR system protocol developments

Regarding the VAR system protocol, the AGM approved three adjustments. Where there is clear evidence, the VAR will now be permitted to check and review: red cards arising from a clearly incorrect second yellow card; mistaken identity, when the referee penalises the wrong team for an offence resulting in a red or yellow card being shown to the wrong player; and competitions may allow VARs to review a clearly incorrectly awarded corner kick, provided that the review can be completed immediately and without delaying the restart.

Laws of the Game 2026/27

Additionally, the next edition of the Laws of the Game, effective from 1 July 2026 (with competitions starting before that date being able to implement the changes earlier), will feature the following amendments:

- Law 3 (The Players): The number of permitted substitutes in senior ‘A’ international friendly matches is increased to eight; both teams may agree to a further increase up to a maximum of eleven.

- Law 4 (The Player’s Equipment): Non-dangerous items will be permitted if safely and securely covered.

- Law 5 (The Referee): Referee body cameras (chest- or head-mounted) may be used as a competition option, with the competition providing the cameras and controlling the use of the footage.

- Law 8 (The Start and Restart of Play): Clarification that the ball is dropped for the team that would have had or retained possession had play not been stopped.

- Law 10 (Determining the Outcome of a Match) and Law 14 (The Penalty Kick): Incorporation of the clarification contained in circular 31 (June 2025) regarding an accidental “double touch” by the penalty taker.

- Law 12 (Fouls and Misconduct): Where the referee applies advantage for an offence for (denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity and a goal is scored), the offending player will not be cautioned, as the offence did not prevent a goal.

The IFAB also agreed that consultation will be held to develop measures where (i) players unilaterally deciding to leave the field of play as an act of protest a referee’s decision or team officials instigating such action, and (ii) players covering their mouth when confronting opponents during matches. The AGM agreed to continue offside trials related to offside and received updates on the development of semi-automated offside technology (SAOT), and the ongoing FIFA-led trial of Football Video Support. (Source: IFAB)

Collina explains upcoming changes

“The goal is to eliminate, or to eliminate as much as possible, timewasting that hinders the spectacle of the game,” Collina told La Gazzetta dello Sport about the upcoming changes that were decided upon on Saturday. “Last year we introduced the ‘eight second rule’ for goalkeepers, which has been a great success. There have been very few cases where a corner has been granted. The deterrent has worked. Considering the amount of time that is lost through so many goal-kicks and free-kicks, we thought we needed to find a solution.”

Another rule that will be introduced at the FIFA World Cup is a 10-second limit for players to leave the field after a substitution has been called. If players fail to leave the pitch within the allocated 10 seconds, the replacement substitute will not be permitted to enter until the next stoppage in play, or until one minute of action has passed. “We already did something, making substitutes leave the pitch from the nearest point. The time limit is a more effective deterrent than the yellow card, which is sometimes seen as some sort of ‘deal’,” Collina said. “The results in recent years in MLS show that this measure works,” he added.

VAR will now be able to intervene on second yellow card decisions, which had not previously been the case. Just two weeks ago in Serie A, Pierre Kalulu was incorrectly sent off for a second bookable offence in one of the biggest matches of the season, the Derby d’Italia between Inter and Juventus, but the referee Federico La Penna was unable to refer the incident for review as it was not a straight red card incident. This will no longer be the case. Some might argue that it should always have been the case that VAR is able to intervene on second yellow card offences and not just for straight red card incidents. “When we decided on the VAR trial in 2016, the technology was very different,” Collina explained. “The protocol was written from scratch and took inspiration from other sports, such as rugby, and video officials had no prior experience. Today, the situation is very different. We’ve been discussing it for a few years and unfortunately until now, some had not considered it to be a priority, which is a shame.” VAR will now also be able to review corner kick decisions, which had not previously been the case. “A corner is a resumption of play that always takes a certain amount of time,” Collina said. “Usually, you must wait until the centre-backs go up and the kicker often has to cross the length of the pitch. In that time, it could be the case that by simply looking at an image, you realise the decision was wrong. Does it make sense to let the corner go and hope that a goal isn’t scored? It’s much better to correct the initial decision and postpone it.” (Source: Football Italia)

CONMEBOL Sudamericana 2026 – First Round

3-5 March 2026

Independiente – Guabira
Referee: Alex Cajas ECU (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Lescano ECU
Assistant Referee 2: Dennys Guerrero ECU
Fourth Official: Roberto Cabrera ECU
VAR: Jefferson Macias ECU
AVAR: Kevin Pazmiño ECU
Referee Assessor: Juan Lugones BOL
VAR Supervisor: Claudio Rios CHI

Montevideo City Torque – Defensor Sporting
Referee: Carlos Benitez PAR
Assistant Referee 1: Milciades Saldivar PAR
Assistant Referee 2: Roberto Cañete PAR
Fourth Official: David Ojeda PAR
VAR: Ulises Mereles PAR
AVAR: Nadia Weiler PAR
Referee Assessor: Fernando Falce URU
VAR Supervisor: Ricardo Casas ARG

Academia Puerto Cabello – Monagas
Referee: Gery Vargas BOL
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Antelo BOL
Assistant Referee 2: Edwar Saavedra BOL
Fourth Official: Ivo Mendez BOL
VAR: Juan Garcia BOL
AVAR: Ariel Guizada BOL
Referee Assessor: Luis Sancez VEN
VAR Supervisor: Rodney Aquino PAR

Cobresal – Audax Italiano
Referee: Andres Rojas COL
Assistant Referee 1: Alexander Guzman COL
Assistant Referee 2: Miguel Roldan COL
Fourth Official: Jairo Mayorga COL
VAR: Mauricio Perez COL
AVAR: Luis Picon COL
Referee Assessor: Carlos Ulloa CHI
VAR Supervisor: Luis Vera ECU

Alianza Atletico – Deportivo Garcilaso
Referee: Augusto Aragon ECU
Assistant Referee 1: David Vacacela ECU
Assistant Referee 2: Danny Avila ECU
Fourth Official: Anthony Diaz ECU
VAR: Gabriel Gonzalez ECU
AVAR: Byron Romero ECU
Referee Assessor: Jorge Jaimes PER
VAR Supervisor: Hernan Maidana ARG

Blooming – San Antonio Bulo Bulo
Referee: Alexis Herrera VEN
Assistant Referee 1: Antoni Garcia VEN
Assistant Referee 2: Paolo Garcia VEN
Fourth Official: Carlos Parra VEN
VAR: Angel Artega VEN
AVAR: Migdalia Rodriguez VEN
Referee Assessor: Oscar Maldonado BOL
VAR Supervisor: Juan Cardellino URU

Caracas – Metropolitanos
Referee: Carlos Betancur COL
Assistant Referee 1: Richard Ortiz COL
Assistant Referee 2: John Gallego COL
Fourth Official: Ivo Mendez BOL
VAR: Leonard Mosquera COL
AVAR: Keiner Jimenez COL
Referee Assessor: Jairo Romero VEN
VAR Supervisor: Rodney Aquino PAR

Atletico Nacional – Millonarios
Referee: Wilton Sampaio BRA
Assistant Referee 1: Rodrigo Correa BRA
Assistant Referee 2: Rafael Alves BRA
Fourth Official: Rodrigo Pereira BRA
VAR: Daniel Nobre BRA
AVAR: Rodrigo Guarizo BRA
Referee Assessor: Juan Restrepo COL
VAR Supervisor: Roberto Silvera URU

Universidad de Chile – Palestino
Referee: Raphael Claus BRA
Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Pires BRA
Assistant Referee 2: Maira Mastella BRA
Fourth Official: Rejane Caetano BRA
VAR: Pablo Gonçalves BRA
AVAR: Rodrigo D’Alonso BRA
Referee Assessor: Christian Schiemann CHI
VAR Supervisor: Angel Sanchez ARG

Sportivo Trinidense – Olimpia
Referee: Piero Maza CHI
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Retamal CHI
Assistant Referee 2: Juan Serrano CHI
Fourth Official: Juan Lara CHI
VAR: Leodan Gonzalez URU
AVAR: Santiago Fernandez URU
Referee Assessor: Joel Ruiz PAR
VAR Supervisor: Carlos Pastorino URU

Deportivo Cuenca – Libertad
Referee: Yael Falcon ARG
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Savorani ARG
Assistant Referee 2: Sebastian Raineri ARG
Fourth Official: Carlos Gariano ARG
VAR: Nicolas Lamolina ARG
AVAR: Pablo Dovalo ARG
Referee Assessor: Jose Lara ECU
VAR Supervisor: Jorge Mercado PAR

Nacional – Recoleta
Referee: Jose Burgos URU
Assistant Referee 1: Agustin Berisso URU
Assistant Referee 2: Daiana Fernandez URU
Fourth Official: Nadia Fuques URU
VAR: Leodan Gonzalez URU
AVAR: Santiago Fernandez URU
Referee Assessor: Myriam Melgarejo PAR
VAR Supervisor: Carlos Pastorino URU

Boston River – Racing
Referee: Juan Benitez PAR
Assistant Referee 1: Eduardo Cardozo PAR
Assistant Referee 2: Eduardo Britos PAR
Fourth Official: Jose Mendez PAR
VAR: Ulises Mereles PAR
AVAR: Hector Balbuena PAR
Referee Assessor: Fernando Falce URU
VAR Supervisor: Ricardo Casas ARG

America de Cali – Atletico Bucaramanga
Referee: Facundo Tello ARG
Assistant Referee 1: Maximiliano Del Yesso ARG
Assistant Referee 2: Gisela Trucco ARG
Fourth Official: Luis Lobo ARG
VAR: Hernan Mastrangelo ARG
AVAR: Laura Fortunato ARG
Referee Assessor: Abraham Gonzalez COL
VAR Supervisor: Barbra Bastias CHI

Cienciano – Melgar
Referee: Flavio Souza BRA
Assistant Referee 1: Nailton Sousa BRA
Assistant Referee 2: Fabrini Bevilaqua BRA
Fourth Official: Charly Straub BRA
VAR: Rodrigo Nunes BRA
AVAR: Caio Viera BRA
Referee Assessor: Cesar Mongrut PER
VAR Supervisor: Hernan Maidana ARG

Orense – Macara
Referee: Jose Cabero CHI
Assistant Referee 1: Claudio Urrutia CHI
Assistant Referee 2: Carlos Poblete CHI
Fourth Official: Franco Jimenez CHI
VAR: Juan Sepulveda CHI
AVAR: Dione Rissios CHI
Referee Assessor: Jose Espinel ECU
VAR Supervisor: Sergio Cristiano BRA

CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026 – Third Round (First Leg)

3-5 March 2026

Barcelona – Botafogo
Referee: Wilmar Roldan COL (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: John Leon COL
Assistant Referee 2: Sebastian Vela COL
Fourth Official: Carlos Ortega COL
VAR: David Rodriguez COL
AVAR: Heider Castro COL
Referee Assessor: Juan Corozo ECU
VAR Supervisor: Henry Gambetta PER

Carabobo – Sporting Cristal
Referee: Ramon Abatti BRA
Assistant Referee 1: Alex Ang BRA
Assistant Referee 2: Neuza Back BRA
Fourth Official: Paulo Zanovelli BRA
VAR: Daiane Muniz BRA
AVAR: Diego Pombo BRA
Referee Assessor: Candelario Andarcia VEN
VAR Supervisor: Marcelo de Leon URU

O’Higgins – Deportes Tolima
Referee: Andres Matonte URU
Assistant Referee 1: Martin Soppi URU
Assistant Referee 2: Pablo Llarena URU
Fourth Official: Anahi Fernandez URU
VAR: Christian Ferreyra URU
AVAR: Hector Bergalo URU
Referee Assessor: Jorge Antequera BOL
VAR Supervisor: Oswaldo Segura ECU

Juventud – Independiente Medellin
Referee: Augusto Menendez PER
Assistant Referee 1: Michael Orue PER
Assistant Referee 2: Jesus Sanchez PER
Fourth Official: Kevin Ortega PER
VAR: Joel Alarcon PER
AVAR: Alberth Alarcon PER
Referee Assessor: Miguel Nievas URU
VAR Supervisor: Sergio Viola ARG

AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 – Opening Match: Dong (CHN)

As the Continent gears up for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has confirmed the cast of match officials who will oversee the opening match of Asia’s premier women’s national team competition at the stunning Perth Stadium on Sunday.

Among Asia’s most accomplished referees, China PR’s Dong Fangyu has been appointed to take charge of the curtain raiser between hosts Australia and the Philippines. A graduate of the AFC Referee Academy, Dong created history as the first alumna to officiate at a FIFA competition when she was referee in the Quarter-final clash between the Netherlands and Colombia at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Colombia 2024, before further etching her name in the Confederation’s records last year when she became one of the first women to officiate at the AFC U17 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia. In another career highlight, the 35-year-old also earned her first appointment as referee in an AFC men’s club competition when she oversaw the AFC Champions League Two 2025/26 Group Stage match between Japan’s Gamba Osaka and Ratchaburi FC of Thailand.

Joining Dong as assistant referee will be Xie Lijun, appearing in the Continental showpiece for the second consecutive time, and having also officiated at the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2024. Set to join the duo is compatriot Bao Mengxiao, whose impressive resume includes appearances at the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup Indonesia 2024, the AFC U17 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2025, and the prestigious Maurice Revello Tournament, while the role of fourth official will be filled by another familiar face, Tian Jin, also from China PR.

With the 21st edition of the AFC’s flagship women’s national team competition featuring the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system across all matches for the first time, China PR's Fu Ming will oversee operations in the VAR room, assisted by Law Bik Chi from Hong Kong, China. One of the most experienced Video Match Officials on the Continent, Fu previously showcased his proficiency in some of Asia’s biggest matches, including the Final matches of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 and the AFC Champions League Elite 2024/25, and was also among the 15 Asian officials appointed to the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.

Source: AFC

UEFA Futsal Champions League 2025/2026 – Quarter-finals

First Leg, 22-23 February 2026

Palma – Riga
Referee 1: Damian Grabowski POL (photo)
Referee 2: Arttu Kyynaeraeinen FIN
Third Referee: Monika Czudzinowicz POL
Timekeeper: Paavo Komppa FIN
Referee Observer: Sreten Vasić SRB

Kairat – Cartagena
Referee 1: Viktor Bugenko MDA
Referee 2: Grigori Ošomkov EST
Third Referee: Ivan Ivanov BUL
Timekeeper: Aleksandar Vangelov BUL
Referee Observer: Patrick Willemarck BEL

Etoile Lavalloise – Semey
Referee 1: Alejandro Martinez Flores ESP
Referee 2: Juan Cordero Gallardo ESP
Third Referee: Diego Martinez Garcia ESP
Timekeeper: Noelia Gutierrez Muñoz ESP
Referee Observer: Victor van Helvoirt NED

Benfica – Sporting
Referee 1: Dejan Veselič SVN
Referee 2: Aleš Močnik Perič SVN
Third Referee: Yevhen Hordiienko UKR
Timekeeper: Orest Dutsiak UKR
Referee Observer: Igor Babovic SWE

Second Leg, 6 March 2026

Semey – Etoile Lavalloise
Referee 1 : Rúben Santos POR
Referee 2: Cristiano Santos POR
Third Referee: Filipe Duarte POR
Timekeeper: Filipa Prata POR
Referee Observer: Stefan Weber GER

Riga – Palma
Referee 1: Nicola Manzione ITA
Referee 2: Chiara Perona ITA
Third Referee: Giovanni Zannola ITA
Timekeeper: Giulio Colombin ITA
Referee Observer: Tarik Keco BIH

Cartagena – Kairat
Referee 1: Ondřej Černý CZE
Referee 2: Daniel Matkovic SUI
Third Referee: David Schaerli SUI
Timekeeper: Jan Kresta CZE
Referee Observer: Šarunas Tamulynas LTU

Sporting – Benfica
Referee 1: Nikola Jelić CRO
Referee 2: Dino Kramar CRO
Third Referee: Vedran Babic CRO
Timekeeper: Mislav Džeko CRO
Referee Observer: Oleg Ivanov UKR

UEFA Europa Conference League 2025/26 – KO Stage, Play-Offs (Second Leg)

26 February 2026

AC Fiorentina – Jagiellonia Bialystok
Referee: Srdjan Jovanović SRB (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Uroš Stojković SRB
Assistant Referee 2: Miloš Simović SRB
Fourth Official: Novak Simović SRB
VAR: Benjamin Brand GER
AVAR: Aleksandar Živković SRB
Referee Observer: Jan Wegereef NED

Samsunspor – KF Shkendija
Referee: Simone Sozza ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Davide Imperiale ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Alessio Berti ITA
Fourth Official: Kevin Bonacina ITA
VAR: Valerio Marini ITA
AVAR: Daniele Doveri ITA
Referee Observer: Stéphane Lannoy FRA

NK Celje – FC Drita
Referee: Damian Sylwestrzak POL
Assistant Referee 1: Paweł Sokolnicki POL
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Karasewicz POL
Fourth Official: Lukasz Kuzma POL
VAR: Piotr Lasyk POL
AVAR: Pawel Malec POL
Referee Observer: Gylfi Orrason ISL.

HNK Rijeka – Omonia Nicosia
Referee: Mykola Balakin UKR
Assistant Referee 1: Oleksandr Berkut UKR
Assistant Referee 2: Viktor Matyash UKR
Fourth Official: Vitaliy Romanov UKR
VAR: Viktor Kopiievskyi UKR
AVAR: Dmytro Panchyshyn UKR
Referee Observer: Bernardino González Vázquez ESP

Lech Poznan – KUPS Kuopio
Referee: Vassilis Fotias GRE
Assistant Referee 1: Andreas Meintanas GRE
Assistant Referee 2: Michail Papadakis GRE
Fourth Official: Alexandros Tsakalidis GRE
VAR: Angelos Evangelou GRE
AVAR: Spyridon Zampalas GRE
Referee Observer: Robert Schörgenhofer AUT

AZ Alkmaar – Noa FA
Referee: Nikola Dabanović MNE
Assistant Referee 1: Vladan Todorović MNE
Assistant Referee 2: Srdjan Jovanović MNE
Fourth Official: Miloš Bošković MNE
VAR: Ivan Bebek CRO
AVAR: Mario Zebec CRO
Referee Observer: Michalis Argyrou CYP

Crystal Palace – Zrinjski Mostar
Referee: Luis Godinho POR
Assistant Referee 1: Pedro Almeida POR
Assistant Referee 2: Rui Teixeira POR
Fourth Official: Fabio Verissimo POR
VAR: André Narciso POR
AVAR: Bruno Esteves POR
Referee Observer: Marián Ružbarský SVK

FC Lausanne Sport – Sigma Olomouc
Referee: Nenad Minaković SRB
Assistant Referee 1: Nikola Borović SRB
Assistant Referee 2: Boško Božović SRB
Fourth Official: Milan Mitić SRB
VAR: Momčilo Marković SRB
AVAR: Jelena Cvetković SRB
Referee Observer: Paweł Gil POL

UEFA Europa League 2025/2026 – KO Stage, Play-Offs (Second Leg)

26 February 2026

Ferencvarosi TC – PFK Ludogorets
Referee: Christopher Kavanagh ENG (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Daniel Cook ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Ian Hussin ENG
Fourth Official: Darren England ENG
VAR: Stuart Attwell ENG
AVAR: Peter Bankes ENG
Referee Observer: Gianluca Rocchi ITA

Viktoria Plzen – Panathinaikos FC
Referee: Donatas Rumšas LTU
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandr Radiuš LTU
Assistant Referee 2: Dovydas Sužiedelis LTU
Fourth Official: Manfredas Lukjančukas LTU
VAR: Dennis Higler NED
AVAR: Jeroen Manschot NED
Referee Observer: Martin Hansson SWE

Crvena Zvezda – LOSC Lille
Referee: Anthony Taylor ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Gary Beswick ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Nunn ENG
Fourth Official: Samuel Barrott ENG
VAR: Michael Salisbury ENG
AVAR: Matthew Donohue ENG
Referee Observer: Stavros Tritsonis GRE

VfB Stuttgart – Celtic FC
Referee: Irfan Peljto BIH
Assistant Referee 1: Senad Ibrišimbegović BIH
Assistant Referee 2: Davor Beljo BIH
Fourth Official: Miloš Gigovic BIH
VAR: Carlos Del Cerro Grande ESP
AVAR: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández ESP
Referee Observer: Frank De Bleeckere BEL

KRC Genk – GNK Dinamo
Referee: Felix Zwayer GER
Assistant Referee 1: Robert Kempter GER
Assistant Referee 2: Christian Dietz GER
Fourth Official: Florian Badstübner GER
VAR: Bastian Dankert GER
AVAR: Sören Storks GER
Referee Observer: Vladimir Petrov UKR

Celta de Vigo – PAOK FC
Referee: Marco Guida ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Giorgio Peretti ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Giuseppe Perrotti ITA
Fourth Official: Matteo Marcenaro ITA
VAR: Michael Fabbri ITA
AVAR: Aleandro Di Paolo ITA
Referee Observer: John Ward IRL

Bologna FC – SK Brann
Referee: Benoît Bastien FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Hicham Zakrani FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Aurélien Berthomieu FRA
Fourth Official: Bastien Dechepy FRA
VAR: Jérôme Brisard FRA
AVAR: Pol van Boekel NED
Referee Observer: Kenneth Clark SCO

Nottingham Forrest – Fenerbahce
Referee: Maurizio Mariani ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Daniele Bindoni ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Alberto Tegoni ITA
Fourth Official: Matteo Marchetti ITA
VAR: Marco Di Bello ITA
AVAR: Daniele Chiffi ITA
Referee Observer: Herbert Fandel GER

UEFA Champions League 2025/2026 – KO Stage, Play-Offs (Second Leg)

24 February 2026

Atletico de Madrid – Club Brugge
Referee: Clément Turpin FRA (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Danos FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Benjamin Pagès FRA
Fourth Official: Éric Wattellier FRA
VAR: Jérôme Brisard FRA
AVAR: Pol van Boekel NED
Referee Observer: Nuno Castro POR

Bayer Leverkusen – Olympiacos FC
Referee: Michael Oliver ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Stuart Burt ENG
Assistant Referee 2: James Mainwaring ENG
Fourth Official: Andrew Madley ENG
VAR: Marco Di Bello ITA
AVAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
Referee Observer: Itchko Lozev BUL

Inter Milano – Bodo Glimt
Referee: Alejandro Hernández Hernández ESP
Assistant Referee 1: José Naranjo Pérez ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Diego Sánchez Rojo ESP
Fourth Official: José Munuera Montero ESP
VAR: Carlos Del Cerro Grande ESP
AVAR: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández ESP
Referee Observer: Darko Čeferin SVN

Newcastle United – Qarabag FC
Referee: Davide Massa ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Filippo Meli ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Stefano Alassio ITA
Fourth Official: Luca Pairetto ITA
VAR: Daniele Chiffi ITA
AVAR: Christian Dingert GER
Referee Observer: João Ferreira POR

25 February 2026
Atalanta BC – Borussia Dortmund
Referee: José Sánchez Martínez ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Raúl Cabañero Martínez ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Íñigo Prieto López ESP
Fourth Official: Juan Martínez Munuera ESP
VAR: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández ESP
AVAR: Carlos Del Cerro Grande ESP
Referee Observer: Konrad Plautz AUT

Paris St. Germain – AS Monaco
Referee: István Kovács ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Mihai Marica ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Ferencz Tunyogi ROU
Fourth Official: Szabolcs Kovacs ROU
VAR: Pol van Boekel NED
AVAR: Marco Di Bello ITA
Referee Observer: Sokol Jareci ALB

Juventus – Galatasaray
Referee: João Pinheiro POR
Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Jesus POR
Assistant Referee 2: Luciano Maia POR
Fourth Official: João Gonçalves POR
VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
AVAR: Jérôme Brisard FRA
Referee Observer: Martin Ingvarsson SWE

Real Madrid – SL Benfica
Referee: Slavko Vinčić SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Tomaž Klančnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Andraž Kovačič SVN
Fourth Official: David Šmajc SVN
VAR: Christian Dingert GER
AVAR: Daniele Chiffi ITA
Referee Observer: Marinus Koopman NED

CONMEBOL Recopa 2026 (Second Leg)

26 February 2026

Flamengo – Lanus
Referee: Gustavo Tejera URU (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Taran URU
Assistant Referee 2: Carlos Barreiro URU
Fourth Official: Jose Burgos URU
Reserve AR: Andres Nievas URU
VAR: Andres Cunha URU
AVAR 1: Miguel Araos CHI
AVAR 2: Richard Trinidad URU
AVAR 3: Jose Cabero CHI
Referee Assessor: Candelario Andarcia VEN
VAR Supervisor: Patricio Polic CHI

Concacaf Champions Cup 2026 – First Round (Second Leg, II)

24 February 2026

Nashville SC – Atletico Ottawa
Referee: Selvin Brown HON (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Gerson Orellana HON
Assistant Referee 2: Roney Salinas HON
Fourth Official: Jorge Camacho MEX
VAR: Guillermo Pacheco MEX
AVAR: David Gómez CRC

Los Angeles FC – Real Espana
Referee: Oshane Nation JAM
Assistant Referee 1: Caleb Wales TRI
Assistant Referee 2: Ojay Duhaney JAM
Fourth Official: Reginald Gumbs SKN
VAR: Daneon Parchment JAM
AVAR: Benjamín Whitty CAY

25 February 2026
FC Cincinnati – O&M FC
Referee: Katia Garcia MEX
Assistant Referee 1: Sandra Ramirez MEX
Assistant Referee 2: Karen Diaz MEX
Fourth Official: Daniel Quintero MEX
VAR: Anthony Bravo CRC
AVAR: Guillermo Pacheco MEX

Vancouver Whitecaps – CS Cartagines
Referee: Marco Ortiz MEX
Assistant Referee 1: Enrique Bustos MEX
Assistant Referee 2: Jose Martinez MEX
Fourth Official: Fernando Moron PAN
VAR: Oscar Macias MEX
AVAR: Erick Miranda MEX

Los Angeles Galaxy – Sporting San Miguelito
Referee: Ivan Barton SLV
Assistant Referee 1: David Moran SLV
Assistant Referee 2: Henri Pupiro NCA
Fourth Official: Lizzet Garcia MEX
VAR: Luis Santander MEX
AVAR: Benjamin Pineda CRC

26 February 2026
Philadelphia Union – Defence Force
Referee: Julio Luna GUA
Assistant Referee 1: Cristian Alvarado GUA
Assistant Referee 2: Aczel Perez GUA
Fourth Official: Keylor Herrera CRC
VAR: Yasith Monge CRC
AVAR: Anthony Bravo CRC

CONMEBOL U-20 Libertadores 2026

Ecuador, 7-22 March 2026

Referee: Sebastian Martinez ARG (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Mamani ARG
Assistant Referee 2: Mariana Almeida ARG

Referee: Gabriel Mendoza BOL
Assistant Referee 1: William Medina BOL
Assistant Referee 2: Maria Cabezas BOL

Referee: Andreza Siqueira BRA
Assistant Referee 1: Victor Imazu BRA
Assistant Referee 2: Fernanda Kruger BRA

Referee: Diego Flores CHI
Assistant Referee 1: Carlos Venegas CHI
Assistant Referee 2: Wladimir Munoz CHI

Referee: Jose Ortiz COL
Assistant Referee 1: Cristian Aguirre COL
Assistant Referee 2: Nataly Arteaga COL

Referee: Yerson Zambrano ECU
Assistant Referee 1: Edison Vasquez ECU
Assistant Referee 2: Viviana Segura ECU

Referee: Derlis Benitez PAR
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Villagra PAR
Assistant Referee 2: Nancy Fernandez PAR

Referee: Jordi Espinoza PER
Assistant Referee 1: Diego Jaimes PER
Assistant Referee 2: Jose Castillo PER

Referee: Hernan Heras URU
Assistant Referee 1: Mathias Muniz URU
Assistant Referee 2: Belen Clavijo URU

Referee: Yender Herrera VEN
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Martinez VEN
Assistant Referee 2: Erizon Nieto VEN

CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026 – Second Round (Second Leg)

24-26 February 2026

Huachipato – Carabobo
Referee: Rodrigo Pereira BRA (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Danilo Manis BRA
Assistant Referee 2: Fabrini Bevilaqua BRA
Fourth Official: Andreza Siqueira BRA
VAR: Wagner Reway BRA
AVAR: Marco Fazekas BRA
Referee Assessor: Julio Bascunan CHI
VAR Supervisor: Oswaldo Segura ECU

Sporting Cristal – 2 de Mayo
Referee: Andres Matonte URU
Assistant Referee 1: Martin Soppi URU
Assistant Referee 2: Hector Bergallo URU
Fourth Official: Guillermo Guerrero ECU
VAR: Leodan Gonzalez URU
AVAR: Gabriel Gonzalez ECU
Referee Assessor: Hector Baldassi ARG
VAR Supervisor: Emerson De Carvalho BRA

Independiente Medellin – Liverpool
Referee: Anderson Daronco BRA
Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Pires BRA
Assistant Referee 2: Bruno Boschilia BRA
Fourth Official: Edina Alves BRA
VAR: Rodolpho Toski BRA
AVAR: Charly Straub BRA
Referee Assessor: Luzmila Gonzalez COL
VAR Supervisor: Leandro Vuaden BRA

Bahia – O’Higgins
Referee: Maximiliano Ramirez ARG
Assistant Referee 1: Cristian Navarro ARG
Assistant Referee 2: Pablo Gonzalez ARG
Fourth Official: Nazareno Arasa ARG
VAR: Silvio Trucco ARG
AVAR: German Delfino ARG
Referee Assessor: Hilton Moutinho BRA
VAR Supervisor: Juan Cardellino URU

Argentinos Juniors – Barcelona
Referee: Esteban Ostojich URU
Assistant Referee 1: Horacio Ferreiro URU
Assistant Referee 2: Pablo Llarena URU
Fourth Official: Anahi Fernandez URU
VAR: Christian Ferreyra URU
AVAR: Agustin Berisso URU
Referee Assessor: Sergio Viola ARG
VAR Supervisor: Oscar Viera PAR

Botafogo – Nacional Potosi
Referee: Piero Maza CHI
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Retamal CHI
Assistant Referee 2: Miguel Rocha CHI
Fourth Official: Mathias Riquelme CHI
VAR: Juan Lara CHI
AVAR: Edson Cisternas CHI
Referee Assessor: Alicio Pena BRA
VAR Supervisor: Carlos Pastorino URU

Guarani – Juventud
Referee: Cristian Garay CHI
Assistant Referee 1: Carlos Venegas CHI
Assistant Referee 2: Eric Pizarro CHI
Fourth Official: Franco Jimenez CHI
VAR: Fernando Vejar CHI
AVAR: Reinerio Alvarado CHI
Referee Assessor: Joel Ruiz PAR
VAR Supervisor: Ednilson Corona BRA

Deportes Tolima – Deportivo Tachira
Referee: Leandro Rey ARG
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Belatti ARG
Assistant Referee 2: Mariana Almeida ARG
Fourth Official: Sebastian Martinez ARG
VAR: Hector Paletta ARG
AVAR: Salome Di Iorio ARG
Referee Assessor: Abraham Gonzalez COL
VAR Supervisor: Angel Sanchez ARG

CONMEBOL U-20 Women’s Championship 2026

Paraguay, 16-28 February 2026

Referee: Adriana Alvarez ARG
Assistant Referee 1: Carla Lopez ARG
Assistant Referee 2: Maria Bevilacqua ARG

Referee: Wilma Balderrama BOL (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Ines Choque BOL
Assistant Referee 2: Elizabeth Blanco BOL

Referee: Rejane Caetano BRA
Assistant Referee 1: Anna Gomes BRA
Assistant Referee 2: Fernanda Gomes BRA

Referee: Brenda Cisternas CHI
Assistant Referee 1: Yomara Salazar CHI
Assistant Referee 2: Yasna Moreno CHI

Referee: Paula Fernandez COL
Assistant Referee 1: Laura Loaiza COL
Assistant Referee 2: Carlina Vicuna COL

Referee: Maria Lupera ECU
Assistant Referee 1: Joselyn Romero ECU
Assistant Referee 2: Stefania Paguay ECU

Referee: Helena Cantero PAR
Assistant Referee 1: Liz Feitas PAR
Assistant Referee 2: Claudia Del Valle PAR

Referee: Elizabeth Tintaya PER
Assistant Referee 1: Mariana Aquino PER
Assistant Referee 2: Diana Ruiz PER

Referee: Nohelia Giacomazzi URU
Assistant Referee 1: Adela Sanchez URU
Assistant Referee 2: Sofia Sarzay URU

Referee: Ana Mendez VEN
Assistant Referee 1: Thaity Dugarte VEN
Assistant Referee 2: Francis Garcia VEN

Video Match Officials
1. Alejandra Quisbert BOL
2. Jorge Justiniano BOL
3. Juan Sepulveda CHI
4. Dione Rissios CHI
5. Jonathan Fuentes URU
6. Belen Clavijo URU

UEFA key refereeing priorities

Fresh from a preparatory week with Europe’s top match officials, our refereeing director Roberto Rosetti provided a comprehensive midseason update covering several major issues. The protection of players, the use of VAR, and reducing simulation, as well as strengthening the cooperation between referees and team captains, were all on the agenda ahead of this week's UEFA men's club competition play-off action.

Protecting the players: 'Our absolute priority'

Rosetti opened with a firm message: Player safety remains UEFA’s number one refereeing objective. Our refereeing department has analysed every red card relating to serious foul play across our men’s club competitions this season, identifying clear trends where officials must remain alert. Notably, half of all serious foul play incidents occur in one specific zone of the pitch – near the technical areas, where emotion and proximity to coaching staff can lead to stronger challenges. A significant proportion of bad tackles also arise from situations such as loss of ball control, bouncing balls, and 50–50 challenges – moments where players instinctively stretch and risk endangering an opponent. "We will continue to be strict," Rosetti said. "The focus is always on protecting the players." Referees have been instructed to recognise the nature of challenges, evaluate whether players are genuinely playing for the ball, and act firmly when force or studs up tackles endanger opponents.

VAR: Only for clear and obvious errors

"We must remember why VAR was introduced," said Rosetti. "It was created to correct. The technology is excellent for objective decisions, like offsides, but for subjective judgments, we need to be cautious, because when we review tiny details we are slowing the game down." Rosetti added that, while VAR continues to be a fantastic project that has helped improve the game and make it safer, we will endeavour to protect the flow of the game and ensure that only clear errors trigger intervention. The launch of the dedicated UEFA Champions League technical explanations page on UEFA.com allows supporters and media to understand why interventions are taken.

Exaggeration: A growing and difficult problem

The media briefing dedicated significant time to another rising trend: player exaggeration after minimal or slight contact, with Rosetti acknowledging it is "very difficult" for referees to assess in real time. "What we see on television is not always what the referee sees on the pitch," he explained, highlighting how angles, proximity and speed affect perception. The message to referees is to remain vigilant but fair – to distinguish genuine fouls from exaggerated reactions designed to mislead.

Captain–referee cooperation: Respect, clarity, and communication

One initiative Rosetti believes is working well is the continued rollout of the captain-referee communication protocol, introduced before UEFA EURO 2024. "We are very happy with this," he said. "It’s about respect and about protecting the image of the game." Under this system, only the team captain can approach the referee for explanations to key decisions, such as offside reviews or penalties, with the aim to reduce the mobbing of officials and send a positive message to younger generations.

Handball clarity: Intentional and unintentional actions

Rosetti also reiterated the guidelines on handball, with a focus on defining what constitutes intentional contact and natural or unnatural actions, as well as whether the arms and hands are on, close to or extended away from the body. Referees are instructed to consider: the player’s attitude and intention (e.g., creating a barrier vs playing the ball), whether arms are in a natural position, especially when falling or recovering balance, contact following a physical challenge, where deflections may be unavoidable. Rosetti also stressed the importance of Europe’s referees "speaking the same technical language" to ensure consistent decision-making across borders. Using handball as an example, he explained that differing interpretations between domestic leagues create confusion for players, coaches and fans – particularly when clubs move between domestic and UEFA competitions. Our refereeing department is therefore in constant dialogue with national associations, working together to refine guidance and reinforce one unified interpretation across the continent.

New UEFA Referee Awards

The briefing took place shortly after the announcement of the newly created UEFA Referee Awards, which will recognise the best male and female officials across all UEFA competitions. A shortlist will be drawn up by the UEFA Referees Committee and then voted on by the 55 presidents of Europe’s national referee committees. The awards will be presented at the UEFA Congress, covering performances from the second half of the previous season and the first half of the current campaign. "These awards are meant to support refereeing, highlight how demanding this job is, and celebrate excellence in our community," said Rosetti.

A growing refereeing community

There were also encouraging figures from our ongoing 'Be a Referee!' campaign with national associations to recruit and retain referees. Europe now has more than 300,000 registered referees – an increase of almost 49,000 in just two years.

Source: UEFA

UEFA Europa Conference League 2025/26 – KO Stage, Play-Offs (First Leg)

19 February 2026

KUPS Kuopio – Lech Poznan
Referee: Aliyar Aghayev AZE (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Zeynal Zeynalov AZE
Assistant Referee 2: Akif Amirali AZE
Fourth Official: Elchin Masiyev AZE
VAR: Stuart Attwell ENG
AVAR: Nicat Ismayilli AZE
Referee Observer: Kristinn Jakobsson ISL

Noa FA – AZ Alkmaar
Referee: Orel Grinfeeld ISR
Assistant Referee 1: Roy Hassan ISR
Assistant Referee 2: Idan Yarkoni ISR
Fourth Official: Gal Leibovitz ISR
VAR: Daniel Natan ISR
AVAR: Eitan Shmuelevitz ISR
Referee Observer: Levan Paniashvili GEO

Zrinjski Mostar – Crystal Palace
Referee: Manfredas Lukjančukas LTU
Assistant Referee 1: Mangirdas Mirauskas LTU
Assistant Referee 2: Aleksandras Stepanovas LTU
Fourth Official: Mindaugas Jackus LTU
VAR: Aleandro Di Paolo ITA
AVAR: Donatas Šimenas LTU
Referee Observer: Michael Koukoulakis GRE

Sigma Olomouc – Lausanne Sport
Referee: Sander van der Eijk NED
Assistant Referee 1: Rens Bluemink NED
Assistant Referee 2: Stefan de Groot NED
Fourth Official: Marc Nagtegaal NED
VAR: Clay Ruperti NED
AVAR: Erwin Blank NED
Referee Observer: Antonio Damato ITA

Jagiellonia Bialystok – AC Fiorentina
Referee: Sebastian Gishamer AUT
Assistant Referee 1: Roland Riedel AUT
Assistant Referee 2: Santino Schreiner AUT
Fourth Official: Walter Altmann AUT
VAR: Manuel Schuettengruber AUT
AVAR: Josef Spurny AUT
Referee Observer: Ognjen Valjić BIH

KF Shkendija – Samsunspor
Referee: Rohit Saggi NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Anders Olav Dale NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Jorgen Valstadsve NOR
Fourth Official: Daniel Higraff NOR
VAR: Kristoffer Hagenes NOR
AVAR: Marius Lien NOR
Referee Observer: Sergejus Slyva LTU

FC Drita – NK Celje
Referee: Christopher Kavanagh ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Simon Bennett ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Neil Davies ENG
Fourth Official: Thomas Bramall ENG
VAR: Darren England ENG
AVAR: Peter Bankes ENG
Referee Observer: Domagoj Vučkov CRO

Omonia Nicosia – HNK Rijeka
Referee: Juxhin Xhaja ALB
Assistant Referee 1: Arber Zalla ALB
Assistant Referee 2: Rejdi Avdo ALB
Fourth Official: Olsion Yzeiraj ALB
VAR: Gianluca Aureliano ITA
AVAR: Kreshnik Barjamaj ALB
Referee Observer: Andrejs Sipailo LVA

UEFA Europa League 2025/2026 – KO Stage, Play-Offs (First Leg)

19 February 2026

Fenerbahce – Nottingham Forest
Referee: Sandro Schärer SUI (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Stéphane De Almeida SUI
Assistant Referee 2: Jonas Erni SUI
Fourth Official: Anojen Kanagasingam SUI
VAR: Lukas Fähndrich SUI
AVAR: Luca Cibelli SUI
Referee Observer: René Temmink NED

GNK Dinamo – KRC Genk
Referee: Halil Meler TUR
Assistant Referee 1: Abdullah Özkara TUR
Assistant Referee 2: Ibrahim Uyarcan TUR
Fourth Official: Cihan Aydin TUR
VAR: Fedayi San SUI
AVAR: Onur Özütoprak TUR
Referee Observer: William Collum SCO

PAOK FC – Celta de Vigo
Referee: Ivan Kružliak SVK
Assistant Referee 1: Branislav Hancko SVK
Assistant Referee 2: Jan Pozor SVK
Fourth Official: Michal Očenáš SVK
VAR: Pawel Malec POL
AVAR: Piotr Lasyk POL
Referee Observer: Michael Johansen DEN

SK Brann – Bologna FC
Referee: Rade Obrenovič SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Jure Praprotnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Tomaž Klančnik SVN
Fourth Official: Martin Matoša SVN
VAR: Alen Borošak SVN
AVAR: Asmir Sagrković SVN
Referee Observer: Neale Barry ENG

PFK Ludogorets – Ferencvarosi TC
Referee: Tobias Stieler GER
Assistant Referee 1: Lasse Koslowski GER
Assistant Referee 2: Mark Borsch GER
Fourth Official: Matthias Jöllenbeck GER
VAR: Sören Storks GER
AVAR: Johann Pfeifer GER
Referee Observer: Boško Jovanetić SRB

Panathinaikos FC – Viktoria Plzen
Referee: Nicholas Walsh SCO
Assistant Referee 1: Francis Connor SCO
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel McFarlane SCO
Fourth Official: Donald Robertson SCO
VAR: Andrew Dallas SCO
AVAR: Kevin Clancy SCO
Referee Observer: Aleksei Kulbakov BLR

LOSC Lille – Crvena Zvezda
Referee: Sven Jablonski GER
Assistant Referee 1: Eduard Beitinger GER
Assistant Referee 2: Robert Kempter GER
Fourth Official: Sascha Stegemann GER
VAR: Robert Schröder GER
AVAR: Christian Dingert GER
Referee Observer: Augustus Constantin ROU

Celtic FC – VfB Stuttgart
Referee: Erik Lambrechts BEL
Assistant Referee 1: Mathias Hillaert BEL
Assistant Referee 2: Kevin Monteny BEL
Fourth Official: Jasper Vergoote BEL
VAR: Bram Van Driessche BEL
AVAR: Pol van Boekel NED
Referee Observer: David Malcom NIR

UEFA Champions League 2025/2026 – KO Stage, Play-Offs (First Leg)

17 February 2026
Galatasaray – Juventus
Referee: Danny Makkelie NED (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Hessel Steegstra NED
Assistant Referee 2: Jan de Vries NED
Fourth Official: Allard Lindhout NED
VAR: Bastian Dankert GER
AVAR: Benjamin Brand GER
Referee Observer: Howard Webb ENG

SL Benfica – Real Madrid
Referee: François Letexier FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Cyril Mugnier FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Mehdi Rahmouni NED
Fourth Official: Jérémie Pignard FRA
VAR: Jérôme Brisard FRA
AVAR: Jarred Gillett ENG

Referee Observer: Nicola Rizzoli ITA  

AS Monaco – Paris St. Germain
Referee: Jesús Gil Manzano ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Ángel Nevado Rodríguez ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Guadalupe Porras Ayuso ESP
Fourth Official: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández ESP
VAR: Carlos Del Cerro Grande ESP
AVAR: Valentín Pizarro Gómez ESP
Referee Observer: Dejan Filipović SRB

Borussia Dortmund – Atalanta BC
Referee: Serdar Gözübüyük NED
Assistant Referee 1: Patrick Inia NED
Assistant Referee 2: Rogier Honig NED
Fourth Official: Jeroen Manschot NED
VAR: Pol van Boekel NED
AVAR: Bram van Driessche BEL
Referee Observer: William Young SCO

18 February 2026
Qarabag FK – Newcastle United
Referee: Espen Eskas NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Engan NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Isaak Bashevkin NOR
Fourth Official: Sigurd Kringstad NOR
VAR: Rob Dieperink NED
AVAR: Dennis Higler NED
Referee Observer: Matteo Trefoloni ITA

Olympiakos FC – Bayer Leverkusen
Referee: João Pinheiro POR
Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Jesus POR
Assistant Referee 2: Luciano Maia POR
Fourth Official: João Gonçalves POR
VAR: Tiago Martins POR
AVAR: Fabio Melo POR
Referee Observer: Edward Foley IRL

Bodo Glimt – Inter Milano
Referee: Daniel Siebert GER
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Seidel GER
Assistant Referee 2: Rafael Foltyn GER
Fourth Official: Daniel Schlager GER
VAR: Christian Dingert GER
AVAR: Jérôme Brisard FRA
Referee Observer: Elmir Pilav BIH

Club Brugge – Atletico de Madrid
Referee: Glenn Nyberg SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Mahbod Beigi SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Andreas Söderkvist SWE
Fourth Official: Kristoffer Karlsson SWE
VAR: Jarred Gillett ENG
AVAR: Robert Schröder GER
Referee Observer: Bariş Şimşek TUR

Concacaf Champions Cup 2026 – First Round (First Leg, II)

17 February 2026

Atletico Ottawa – Nashville SC
Referee: Steven Madrigal CRC (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Luis Granados CRC
Assistant Referee 2: Jeriel Valverde CRC
Fourth Official: Ken Pennyfeather ATG
VAR: Jesus Montero CRC
AVAR: Anthony Bravo CRC

Real Espana – Los Angeles FC
Referee: Marco Ortiz MEX
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Espinosa MEX
Assistant Referee 2: Michel Morales MEX
Fourth Official: Ismael Lopez MEX
VAR: Diana Perez MEX
AVAR: Erick Miranda MEX

18 February 2026
Defence Force – Philadelphia Union
Referee: Reon Radix GRN
Assistant Referee 1: Clinton Hayward BER
Assistant Referee 2: Zachari Zeegelaar SUR
Fourth Official: Filiberto Martínez SLV
VAR: Erick Miranda MEX
AVAR: Diana Pérez MEX

CS Cartagines – Vancouver Whitecaps
Referee: Bryan López GUA
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Tipaz GUA
Assistant Referee 2: Andrés Vargas PAN
Fourth Official: Jorge Leira PAN
VAR: Diego Ojer GUA
AVAR: Dilia Bradley GUA

O&M FC – FC Cincinnati
Referee: Steffon Dewar JAM
Assistant Referee 1: Angelo Doyle BRB
Assistant Referee 2: Ricardo McKenzie JAM
Fourth Official: Oshane Nation JAM
VAR: Daneon Parchment JAM
AVAR: Tristley Bassue SKN

19 February 2026
Sporting San Miguelito – Los Angeles Galaxy
Referee: Nelson Salgado HON
Assistant Referee 1: Shirley Perello HON
Assistant Referee 2: José Espinoza HON
Fourth Official: Jesús López MEX
VAR: Óscar Macías MEX
AVAR: Dilia Bradley GUA

UEFA Women’s Europa Cup 2025/26 – Quarter-finals (Second Leg)

18 February 2026

FC Nordsjaelland – Eintracht Frankfurt
Referee: Emanuela Rusta ALB (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Mirjeta Salla ALB
Assistant Referee 2: Sandra Nigulis EST
Fourth Official: Florian Lata ALB
Referee Observer: Bente Skogvang NOR

Hammarby IF – Sporting CP
Referee: Maria Ferrieri Caputi ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Stefania Signorelli ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Emily Carney ENG
Fourth Official: Maria Marotta ITA
Referee Observer: Caroline De Boeck BEL

Breidablik – BK Hacken
Referee: Marta Huerta De Aza ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Eliana Fernández González ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Rocio Puente Pino ESP
Fourth Official: Paola Cebollada López ESP
Referee Observer: Kirsi Heikkinen FIN

Austria Wien – Sparta Praha
Referee: Catarina Campos POR
Assistant Referee 1: Andreia Sousa POR
Assistant Referee 2: Vanessa Gomes POR
Fourth Official: Teresa Oliveira POR
Referee Observer: Christine Baitinger GER

UEFA Women’s Champions League 2025/26 – KO Stage, Play-Offs (Second Leg)

18 February 2026

Arsenal WFC – OH Leuven
Referee: Eleni Antoniou GRE (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Vasilia Tsiklitari GRE
Assistant Referee 2: Anita Vad HUN
Fourth Official: Réka Molnar HUN
VAR: Ferenc Karakó HUN
AVAR: Gergo Bogár HUN
Referee Observer: Carina Vitulano ITA

Real Madrid – Paris FC
Referee: Iuliana Demetrescu ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Bianca Florea ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Almira Spahić SWE
Fourth Official: Karoline Jensen NOR
VAR: Tom Hagen NOR
AVAR: Emilie Torkelsen NOR
Referee Observer: Knarik Grigoryan ARM

19 February 2026
Juventus FC – VfL Wolfsburg
Referee: Frida Klarlund DEN
Assistant Referee 1: Sidsel Rasmussen DEN
Assistant Referee 2: Alisa Levalampi SWE
Fourth Official: Ivana Projkovska MKD
VAR: Jakob Kehlet DEN
AVAR: Lasse Graagaard DEN
Referee Observer: Snježana Fočić CRO

Manchester United – Atletico de Madrid
Referee: Stéphanie Frappart FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Camille Soriano FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Melissa Rossignol FRA
Fourth Official: Maika Vanderstichel FRA
VAR: Mathieu Vernice FRA
AVAR: Elisa Daupeux FRA
Referee Observer: Galina Doneva BUL

CONMEBOL Recopa 2026 (First Leg)

19 February 2026

Lanus – Flamengo
Referee: Alexis Herrera VEN (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Jorge Urrego VEN
Assistant Referee 2: Lubin Torrealba VEN
Fourth Official: Yender Herrera VEN
Reserve AR: Erizon Nieto VEN
VAR: Carlos Orbe ECU
AVAR 1: Christian Lescano ECU
AVAR 2: Franklin Congo ECU
AVAR 3: Angel Arteaga VEN
Referee Assessor: Pedro Saucedo BOL
VAR Supervisor: Wilson Lamouroux COL

UEFA Youth League 2025/2026 – Round of 16

24 February 2026

Inter Milano – Real Betis
Referee: Joey Kooij NED (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Dyon Fikkert NED
Assistant Referee 2: Murat Kücükerbir NED
Fourth Official: Valerio Crezzini ITA
Referee Observer: Paolo Dondarini ITA

Eintracht Frankfurt – Sporting CP
Referee: Samuel Barrott ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Alex James ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Jacob Graham ENG
Fourth Official: Tom Bauer GER
Referee Observer: Edgard Steinborn GER

25 February 2026
Paris St. Germain – HJK Helsinki
Referee: Miloš Milanović SRB
Assistant Referee 1: Nikola Antić SRB
Assistant Referee 2: Novak Novaković SRB
Fourth Official: Aurélien Petit FRA
Referee Observer: Alain Sars FRA

SL Benfica – AZ Alkmaar
Referee: Antoni Bandić BIH
Assistant Referee 1: Amir Kadić BIH
Assistant Referee 2: Nebojša Žugić BIH
Fourth Official: Flavio Dinis Lima POR
Referee Observer: Lucílio Batista POR

Real Madrid – Chelsea FC
Referee: Igor Stojčevski MKD
Assistant Referee 1: Vjolca Izeiri MKD
Assistant Referee 2: Filip Ickovski MKD
Fourth Official: Álvaro Rodríguez Recio ESP
Referee Observer: Carlos Clos Gómez ESP

MŠK Žilina – Club Brugge
Referee: Radoslav Gidzhenov BUL
Assistant Referee 1: Petar Mitrev BUL
Assistant Referee 2: Todor Vukov BUL
Fourth Official: Matej Choreň SVK
Referee Observer: Ladislav Gádoši SVK

Atletico de Madrid – Maccabi Haifa
Referee: Ishmael Barbara MLT
Assistant Referee 1: James Muscat MLT
Assistant Referee 2: Duncan Spencer MLT
Fourth Official: Luis Morona Del Campo ESP
Referee Observer: Ádám Farkas HUN

Villarreal CF – Legia Warszawa
Referee: Edgars Malcevs LVA
Assistant Referee 1: Martinš Svipsts LVA
Assistant Referee 2: Deniss Ševcenko LVA
Fourth Official: Borja Guijarro Colomer ESP
Referee Observer: Alan Sant MLT

CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026 – Second Round (First Leg)

17-19 February 2026

Carabobo – Huachipato
Referee: Andres Rojas COL (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Richard Ortiz COL
Assistant Referee 2: Roberto Padilla COL
Fourth Official: Jairo Mayorga COL
VAR: David Rodriguez COL
AVAR: Luis Picon COL
Referee Assessor: Jairo Romero VEN
VAR Supervisor: Wilson Avila ECU

2 de Mayo – Sporting Cristal
Referee: Carlos Betancur COL
Assistant Referee 1: John Leon COL
Assistant Referee 2: Miguel Roldan COL
Fourth Official: Maria Daza COL
VAR: Nicolas Gallo COL
AVAR: Nataly Arteaga CO
Referee Assessor: Ubaldo Aquino PAR
VAR Supervisor: Claudio Rios CHI

Liverpool – Independiente Medellin
Referee: Bruno Arleu BRA
Assistant Referee 1: Luanderson Lima BR
Assistant Referee 2: Maira Mastella BRA
Fourth Official: Charly Straub BRA
VAR: Pablo Gonçalves BRA
AVAR: Caio Max BRA
Referee Assessor: Fernando Falce URU
VAR Supervisor: Hernan Maidana ARG

O’Higgins – Bahia
Referee: Alberto Feres URU
Assistant Referee 1: Andres Nievas URU
Assistant Referee 2: Mathias Muniz URU
Fourth Official: Jose Burgos URU
VAR: Christian Ferreyra URU
AVAR: Santiago Fernandez URU
Referee Assessor: Christian Schiemann CHI
VAR Supervisor: Victor Martinez PAR

Barcelona – Argentinos Juniors
Referee: Fernando Vejar CHI
Assistant Referee 1: Carlos Poblete CHI
Assistant Referee 2: Wladimir Munoz CHI
Fourth Official: Diego Flores CHI
VAR: Nicolas Millas CHI
AVAR: Alejandro Molina CHI
Referee Assessor: Patricio Carpio ECU
VAR Supervisor: Marcelo de Leon URU

Nacional Potosi – Botafogo
Referee: Augusto Aragon ECU
Assistant Referee 1: Ricardo Baren ECU
Assistant Referee 2: Dennys Guerrero ECU
Fourth Official: Yerson Zambrano ECU
VAR: Gabriel Gonzalez ECU
AVAR: Byron Romero ECU
Referee Assessor: Jorge Antequera BOL
VAR Supervisor: Luis Vera ECU

Juventud – Guarani
Referee: Rafael Klein BRA
Assistant Referee 1: Mailton Souza BRA
Assistant Referee 2: Neuza Back BRA
Fourth Official: Daiane Muniz BRA
VAR: Daniel Nobre BRA
AVAR: Rodrigo Nunes BRA
Referee Assessor: Juan Cardellino URU
VAR Supervisor: Sabrina Lois ARG

Deportivo Tachira – Deportes Tolima
Referee: Hernan Heras URU
Assistant Referee 1: Horacio Ferreiro URU
Assistant Referee 2: Daiana Fernandez URU
Fourth Official: Anahi Fernandez URU
VAR: Antonio Garcia URU
AVAR: Diego Dunajec URU
Referee Assessor: Manuel Bernal PAR
VAR Supervisor: Jorge Mercado PAR

Rosetti: VAR at risk of becoming “too microscopic”

VAR is at risk of becoming too "microscopic" in over-analyzing subjective decisions, UEFA's referees' chief has said. Technology was introduced to football to erase clear and obvious errors, but supporters have become frustrated that it is causing matches to be re-refereed. 

UEFA director of refereeing Roberto Rosetti refrained from criticizing any competitions, but shares the general concern that VAR was at risk of going too far. "I believe we forgot the reason why VAR was introduced. We forgot a little bit. Everywhere. You remember, eight years ago, I came to London [to brief journalists]. We discussed 'what VAR stands for.' We spoke about clear mistakes. We spoke about clear and obvious mistakes. Technology works so well in factual decisions. For interpretations, subjective evaluation is more difficult. I believe that we need, at the end of the season in our meetings, to speak about this. We cannot go in this direction of microscopic VAR intervention. We love football like it is. When you are watching [a] situation with a super slow motion, you can find a lot of things." Rosetti said there was "zero contradiction" in saying VAR was at risk of becoming too microscopic while at the same time not dismissing the idea of extending its remit to cover corner kick checks. "What is crucial is one concept, we cannot delay the start of play," he said. "If something is in place to delay the restart of play, I think [it] is not good for football."

Rosetti also said more work was needed to come up with a common interpretation of the handball law across Europe and said he would speak again to referees' chiefs around the continent about it, including Howard Webb at Professional Game Match Officials. "We must speak only one technical language [on handball]," he said. "We were speaking a lot for sure before the season, we need to speak again [and have] only one uniform and consistent interpretation. We are working on this."

Source: ESPN

CAF Confederation Cup 2025/2026 – Group Stage (Matchday 6)

14-15 February 2026

Zamalek – Kaiser Chiefs
Referee: Mahmoud Ismail SDN (photo)

Al Masry – ZESCO United
Referee: Pacifique Ndabihawenimana BDI

Maniema Union – Nairobi United
Referee: Amin Omar EGY

USM Alger – Olympic Safi
Referee: Sulaiman Kamara SLE

Djoliba – San Pedro
Referee: Brighton Chimene ZIM

Stellenbosch – Black Stars
Referee: Lamin Jammeh GAM

Wydad AC – Azam
Referee: Emmanuel Mensah LBR

CR Belouizdad – AS Otoho
Referee: Omar Sallah GAM

CAF Champions League 2025/2026 – Group Stage (Matchday 6)

14-15 February 2026

Young Africans – JS Kabylie
Referee: Jean Ndala COD (photo)

Esperance de Tunis – Petro de Luanda
Referee: Peter Waweru KEN

Al Ahly – AS FAR
Referee: Louis Houngnandande BEN

RS Berkane – Rivers United
Referee: Mutaz Ibrahim LBY

Pyramids – Power Dynamos
Referee: Pierre Atcho GAB

Mamelodi Sundowns – MC Alger
Referee: Lominson Todihajaniaina MAD

Al Hilal – St. Eloi Lupopo
Referee: Thabang Ketshabile BOT

Simba – Stade Malien
Referee: Godfrey Nkhakananga MWI

UEFA: Priming the next generation of referees

Preparing young referees for their future challenges was a key component of our winter match official courses, held this year in Limassol, Cyprus, serving as preparation for the second half of the season while reflecting on refereeing topics from the opening months of the campaign. An ambitious programme aimed at accelerating the development and progress of new European international referees is bearing impressive fruit – and an important factor in its success is the vital contribution of former top referees who serve as experienced mentors to guide, advise and foster newcomers to the UEFA refereeing community as they embark on a fresh and important pathway in their budding careers.

Offering experience and wisdom

The UEFA Centre of Refereeing Excellence (CORE) International programme aims, among other things, to mentor new international referees during their first year of UEFA duty. The objective is to offer them the experience and wisdom of former match officials who have ‘been there and done it’ during their own careers. "It's a fantastic opportunity for the new UEFA officials to learn from former referees' experiences and from what they've been through," says UEFA director of refereeing Roberto Rosetti. "The mentors will offer close support during regular contact. The new referees will not be alone – they will have the possibility to share experiences, while receiving expert help in approaching difficult situations. We’re caring for young referees, preparing the next generation and also discovering the most promising officials for the future."

High-quality support and advice

One excellent example of how a new UEFA referee can expect to receive the best possible guidance will see Austrian match official Lena Hirtl mentored by Ingrid Jonsson, the Swedish referee who made history as the first woman to officiate at the final of a FIFA Women's World Cup in 1995. "Ingrid has such great experience in many aspects of refereeing, and I’m really happy to have her as a coach," says Hirtl. "I think she’ll be able to give me input and information that can help me make the next steps as a referee. It’s important that we’re honest with each other. I’m someone who welcomes criticism, because this openness is going to give me the opportunity to learn and improve." Jonsson shares her mentee's sentiments. "It’s such a great pleasure and honour to work with future talents," she says. "I think it will be very important to try and inspire Lena – I wish I could have had this help as a referee. We’ll build up a relationship based on honesty and trust, and I hope she enjoys every moment of her refereeing!"

Scottish match official Ryan Lee also welcomes the establishment of his mentoring bond with former Northern Ireland referee Leslie Irvine. "I’m delighted to have a very experienced mentor in Leslie to share ideas and discuss my refereeing – the ups and downs, and the positive moments along my journey," he said. "It’s going to be so valuable to have someone in your corner with you, that wants to support you and see you do well." For Irvine, it's important to provide counsel when things do not always go to plan. "I want to be there for Ryan through the 'good' and the 'bad' – to share in his achievements and success, but I also need to be there in moments of disappointment, because there will be those times as well in his career," he explains. "I consider it a pleasure and a privilege to be part of this great initiative."

Important spring assignments

While the young referees adapt to the demands of being a UEFA referee, their more experienced colleagues are entering the business end of the season, with important club and national-team assignments on their agenda. For some of the male referees, duty also awaits at this summer’s FIFA World Cup. Rosetti is satisfied with the way the season has gone so far. "We’re always looking for perfection but, of course, total perfection doesn’t exist," he reflects. "Nevertheless, the first part of the season has been very positive. It’s been pleasing to see this positive trend continuing after the winter break. We strive for decision-making consistency, and we’ve seen this consistency at the start of the year. Now we must continue along this path, because the next hurdles will be tough in the European club and national team competitions. We’re urging the referees to stay focused and continue the hard work they put in."

UEFA and AFC join refereeing forces

"We are committed to helping the growth of the game all around the world in every aspect of the game – and refereeing is no exception. To this end, and as part of our international development programme, UEFA Together, we have kicked off a new initiative alongside the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). We will start to exchange referees in youth tournaments, and AFC representatives have been at our winter courses to analyse and study our operational processes," Rosetti explains. "It's a bilateral project to learn from each other and improve the quality of refereeing as a result. We already have a good relationship with the South American confederation CONMEBOL. We welcome the chance to share our knowledge – it’s important for world football that we do this."

Source: UEFA