UEFA Women’s Champions League 2025/26 – Quarter-finals (First Leg)

24 March 2026

VfL Wolfsburg – OL Lyonnes
Referee: Emanuela Rusta ALB (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Mirjeta Salla ALB
Assistant Referee 2: Nicoleta Bria ENG
Fourth Official: Iuliana Demetrescu ROU
VAR: Michèle Schmölzer SUI
AVAR: Luca Cibelli SUI
Referee Observer: Sofia Karagiorgi CYP

Arsenal WFC – Chelsea WFC
Referee: Alina Peşu ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Daniela Constantinescu ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Anita Vad HUN
Fourth Official: Michalina Diakow POL
VAR: Ovidiu Haţegan ROU
AVAR: Lucie Ratajová CZE 

Referee Observer: Caroline De Boeck BEL

CONMEBOL U-20 Libertadores Final 2026: Heras (URU)

22 March 2026

Flamengo – Santiago Wanderers
Referee: Hernan Heras URU (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Mathias Muniz URU
Assistant Referee 2: Belen Clavijo URU
Fourth Official: Gabriel Mendoza BOL
Reserve AR: William Medina BOL
VAR: Gabriel Gonzalez ECU
AVAR: Byron Romero ECU
Referee Assessor: Manuel Bernal PAR
VAR Supervisor: Wilson Avila ECU

AFC Women's Asian Cup Final 2026: Kim (KOR)

As the attention turns to the Final of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has confirmed Korea Republic’s Kim Yu-Jeong to lead the cast of match officials overseeing the ultimate showdown at Stadium Australia. A FIFA International Referee since 2018, Kim has steadily built an impressive portfolio and established herself as one of Asia’s most recognised and reliable officials. With the Continental contest taking place Down Under, the tournament also marks a return to familiar ground for the 36-year-old, who made her FIFA Women’s World Cup debut at the 2023 edition co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. A former player who represented the young Taeguk Ladies in the AFC U17 Women’s Cup, the Final will mark Kim’s third assignment at Australia 2026, having previously officiated Vietnam’s Group C matches against Chinese Taipei and Japan. With a career marked by landmark achievements, including being appointed as the Fourth Official in the Final of the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2025, which saw the first-ever appearance of female officials in the competition’s history, as well as appointments as referee in the AFC Champions League Two 2025/26 and the Olympic Football Tournament Paris 2024, the accomplished official will be supported by an equally capable team. Serving as Assistant Referee will be Palestine’s Heba Saadieh, who created history in 2023 as the first Palestinian woman to have officiated at a FIFA Women’s World Cup, and has since featured in multiple prestigious competitions, including the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2025 and the inaugural AFC Women’s Champions League last year. Joining her will be Thailand’s Supawan Hinthong as Assistant Referee, who earned an appointment at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2024, while the role of Fourth Official will be undertaken by Korea Republic’s Oh Hyeong-Jeong, who was also among the officials who made their FIFA Women’s World Cup debut at Australia & New Zealand 2023. Meanwhile, Video Assistant Referee duties will be handled by Sivakorn Pu-Udom of Thailand, assisted by Hong Kong’s Law Bik Chi, both established members of the AFC’s officiating roster, while Korea Republic’s Park Mi-Suk will serve as Reserve Assistant Referee. (Source: AFC)

21 March 2026
Australia – Japan
Referee: Kim Yu-Jeong KOR
Assistant Referee 1: Heba Saadieh PLE
Assistant Referee 2: Hinthong Supawan THA
Fourth Official: Oh Hyeon-Jeong KOR
Reserve AR: Park Mi-Suk KOR
VAR: Sivakorn Pu-Udom THA
AVAR: Law Bik Chi HKG
Referee Assessor: Niu Huijun CHN

CAF Confederation Cup 2025/2026 – Quarter-finals (Second Leg)

21-22 March 2026

Zamalek – AS Otoho
Referee: Peter Waweru KEN (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Gilbert Cheruiyot KEN
Assistant Referee 2: Stephen Yiembe KEN
Fourth Official: Samuel Uwikunda RWA
VAR: Abongile Tom RSA
AVAR: Dickens Mimisa KEN
Referee Assessor: An-Yan Lim Kee Chong MRI

Wydad AC – Olympic Safi
Referee: Ahmad Heeralall MRI
Assistant Referee 1: Ram Babajee MRI
Assistant Referee 2: Louis Cauvelet MRI
Fourth Official: Patrice Milazare MRI
VAR: Maria Rivet MRI

CR Belouizdad – Al Masry

Referee: Brighton Chimene ZIM

Assistant Referee 1: Arsenio Marengula MOZ

Assistant Referee 2: Yanes Malondi CGO

Fourth Official: Pacifique Ndabihawenimana BDI

USM Alger – Maniema Union
Referee: Boubou Traore MLI

Assistant Referee 1: Modibo Samake MLI

Assistant Referee 2: Jonathan Ahonto TOG

Fourth Official: Ousmane Diakate MLI

VAR: Pierre Atcho GAB

CAF Champions League 2025/2026 – Quarter-finals (Second Leg)

21-22 March 2026

Pyramids – AS FAR
Referee: Dahane Beida MTN (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Gerson Dos Santos ANG
Assistant Referee 2: Ivanildo Lopes ANG
Fourth Official: Abdul-Aziz Bouh MTN
VAR: Akhona Makalima RSA
AVAR: Boubacar Sarr MTN

Al Ahly – Esperance de Tunis
Referee: Jalal Jayed MAR
Assistant Referee 1: Zakaria Brinsi MAR
Assistant Referee 2: Mustafa Akarkad MAR
Fourth Official: Mustafa Kashaf MAR
VAR: Hamza El Fariq MAR
AVAR: Salima Mukansanga RWA

Stade Malien – Mamelodi Sundowns
Referee: Mehrez Melki TUN
Assistant Referee 1: Khalil Hassani TUN
Assistant Referee 2: Abbes Zerhouni ALG
VAR: Mustapha Ghorbal ALG

Al Hilal – RS Berkane
Referee: Abdou Mefire CMR

Assistant Referee 1: Elvis Noupue CMR

Assistant Referee 2: Styven Moutsassi CGO

Fourth Official: Messie Nkounkou CGO

UEFA Women’s Futsal Euro 2027 Qualifiers – Main Round

18-21 March 2026

Group A – Trondheim (NOR)
Referees
1. Marijana Orešić CRO
2. Sara Gutiérrez Echeverría ESP (photo)
3. Jasmina Mickoska SRB
4. Fatma Özlem Tursun TUR
Timekeeper
Trym Engh NOR
Referee Observer
Miroslav Gorecki POL

Group B – Birstonas (LTU)
Referees
1. Larisa Avramidou CYP
2. Monika Czudzinowicz POL
3. Filipa Prata POR
4. Emanuele Karbala SUI
Timekeeper
Irmantas Kaprašovas LTU
Referee Observer
Toni Lehtinen FIN

Group C – Podcetrtek (SVN)
Referees
1. Alice Vévodová CZE
2. Roosa-Maria Tuomi FIN
3. Martina Piccolo ITA
4. Florentina Kallaba KOS
Timekeeper
Azra Ahmetovic SVN
Referee Observer
Gjergji Bitri MLT

AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 – Play-Offs (FWWC27)

19 March 2026

Uzbekistan – Philippines
Referee: Casey Reibelt AUS (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Emma Kocbek AUS
Assistant Referee 2: Madelaine Allum AUS
Fourth Official: Oh Hyeon-Jeong KOR
Reserve AR: Lee Soo-Bin KOR
VAR: Katherine Jacewicz AUS
AVAR: Mamdouh Al-Shadan KSA
Referee Assessor: Sachiko Yamagishi JPN

Chinese Taipei – Korea DPR
Referee: Asaka Koizumi JPN
Assistant Referee 1: Makoto Bozono JPN
Assistant Referee 2: Chihiro Ikki JPN
Fourth Official: Yoshimi Yamashita JPN
Reserve AR: Nuannid Donjangreed THA
VAR: Jumpei Iida JPN
AVAR: Edita Mirabidova UZB
Referee Assessor: Niu Huijun CHN

UEFA Europa Conference League 2025/26 – Round of 16 (Second Leg)

19 March 2026

FSV Mainz – Sigma Olomouc
Referee: Andris Treimanis LVA (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Haralds Gudermanis LVA
Assistant Referee 2: Aleksejs Spasennikovs LVA
Fourth Official: Aleksandrs Golubevs LVA
VAR: Kristaps Ratnieks LVA
AVAR: Vitalijs Spasjonnikovs LVA
Referee Observer: Boško Jovanetić SRB

Rakow Czestochowa – AC Fiorentina
Referee: Juan Martínez Munuera ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Raúl Cabañero Martinez ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Iñigo Prieto Lopez ESP
Fourth Official: Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz ESP
VAR: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández ESP
AVAR: Javier Iglesias Villanueva ESP
Referee Observer: Michal Beneš CZE

AEK Athens – NK Celje
Referee: Simone Sozza ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Davide Imperiale ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Alessio Berti ITA
Fourth Official: Giovanni Ayroldi ITA
VAR: Luca Pairetto ITA
AVAR: Daniele Doveri ITA
Referee Observer: Viktor Kassai HUN

AEK Larnaca – Crystal Palace
Referee: Aliyar Aghayev AZE
Assistant Referee 1: Zeynal Zeynalov AZE
Assistant Referee 2: Akif Amirali AZE
Fourth Official: Elchin Masiyev AZE
VAR: Jeroen Manschot NED
AVAR: Nicat Ismayilli AZE
Referee Observer: Alberto Undiano Mallenco

Shakhtar Donetsk – Lech Poznan
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: Richard Martens NED
Referee Observer: Fredy Fautrel FRA

Sparta Praha – AZ Alkmaar
Referee: Srdjan Jovanović SRB
Assistant Referee 1: Uroš Stojković SRB
Assistant Referee 2: Milan Mihajlović SRB
Fourth Official: Novak Simović SRB
VAR: Momčilo Marković SRB
AVAR: Jelena Cvetković SRB
Referee Observer: Thomas Einwaller AUT

Rayo Vallecano – Samsunspor
Referee: Sascha Stegemann GER
Assistant Referee 1: Christof Günsch GER
Assistant Referee 2: Marco Achmüller GER
Fourth Official: Martin Petersen GER
VAR: Benjamin Brand GER
AVAR: Pascal Müller GER
Referee Observer: Gediminas Mažeika LTU

RC Strasbourg – HNK Rijeka
Referee: Mykola Balakin UKR
Assistant Referee 1: Oleksandr Berkut UKR
Assistant Referee 2: Viktor Matyash UKR
Fourth Official: Vitaliy Romanov UKR
VAR: Denys Shurman UKR
AVAR: Dmytro Panchyshyn UKR
Referee Observer: Markus Strömbergsson SWE

UEFA Europa League 2025/2026 – Round of 16 (Second Leg)

18 March 2026

SC Braga – Ferencvarosi TC
Referee: Glenn Nyberg SWE (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Mahbod Beigi SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Andreas Söderkvist SWE
Fourth Official: Kristoffer Karlsson SWE
VAR: Pol van Boekel NED
AVAR: Dennis Higler NED
Referee Observer: William Young SCO

19 March 2026
SC Freiburg – KRC Genk
Referee: Michael Oliver ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Stuart Burt ENG
Assistant Referee 2: James Mainwaring ENG
Fourth Official: Andrew Madley ENG
VAR: Jarred Gillett ENG
AVAR: Bastien Dechepy FRA
Referee Observer: Murat Ilgaz TUR

Olympique Lyonnais – Celta de Vigo
Referee: Irfan Peljto BIH
Assistant Referee 1: Senad Ibrišimbegović BIH
Assistant Referee 2: Davor Beljo BIH
Fourth Official: Luka Bilbija BIH
VAR: Andrew Dallas SCO
AVAR: Fedayi San SUI
Referee Observer: Herbert Fandel GER

FC Midtjylland – Nottingham Forest
Referee: Felix Zwayer GER
Assistant Referee 1: Robert Kempter GER
Assistant Referee 2: Christian Gittelmann GER
Fourth Official: Florian Badstübner GER
VAR: Robert Schröder GER
AVAR: Bastian Dankert GER
Referee Observer: Karen Nalbandyan ARM

Real Betis – Panathinaikos
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: Christian Dingert GER
Referee Observer: Tomasz Mikulski POL

AS Roma – FC Bologna
Referee: István Kovács ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Mihai Marica ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Ferencz Tunyogi ROU
Fourth Official: Szabolcs Kovacs ROU
VAR: Tiago Martins POR
AVAR: Bram Van Driessche BEL
Referee Observer: Howard Webb ENG

FC Porto – VfB Stuttgart
Referee: Anthony Taylor ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Gary Beswick ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Nunn ENG
Fourth Official: Darren England ENG
VAR: Michael Salisbury ENG
AVAR: Jérôme Brisard FRA
Referee Observer: Stéphane Lannoy FRA

Aston Villa – LOSC Lille
Referee: Davide Massa ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Filippo Meli ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Stefano Alassio ITA
Fourth Official: Matteo Marcenaro ITA
VAR: Daniele Chiffi ITA
AVAR: Marco Di Bello ITA
Referee Observer: Ante Vučemilović CRO

Concacaf Champions Cup 2026 – Round of 16 (Second Leg)

17 March 2026

LD Alajuelense – Los Angeles FC
Referee: Marco Ortiz MEX (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Espinosa MEX
Assistant Referee 2: Michel Morales MEX
Fourth Official: Ismael Lopez MEX
VAR: Guillermo Pacheco MEX
AVAR: Erick Miranda MEX

Cruz Azul – Monterrey CF
Referee: Joseph Dickerson USA
Assistant Referee 1: Logan Brown USA
Assistant Referee 2: Cameron Blanchard USA
Fourth Official: Rubiel Vázquez USA
VAR: Chris Penso USA
AVAR: Lukasz Szpala USA

18 March 2026
Inter Miami – Nashville FC
Referee: Adonai Escobedo MEX
Assistant Referee 1: Michel Espinoza MEX
Assistant Referee 2: Leonardo Castillo MEX
Fourth Official: Daniel Quintero MEX
VAR: Luis Santander MEX
AVAR: Óscar Macías MEX

Club America – Philadelphia Union
Referee: Said Martínez HON
Assistant Referee 1: Walter López HON
Assistant Referee 2: Christian Ramírez HON
Fourth Official: Nelson Salgado HON
VAR: Tatiana Guzmán NCA
AVAR: Selvin Brown HON

Toluca FC – San Diego FC
Referee: Ismael Cornejo SLV
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Zumba SLV
Assistant Referee 2: Geovany García SLV
Fourth Official: Julio Luna GUA
VAR: Jesús Montero CRC
AVAR: Benjamín Pineda CRC

Seattle Sounders – Vancouver Whitecaps
Referee: Oshane Nation JAM
Assistant Referee 1: Caleb Wales TRI
Assistant Referee 2: Ojay Duhaney JAM
Fourth Official: Steffon Dewar JAM
VAR: Daneon Parchment JAM
AVAR: Diana Pérez MEX

19 March 2026
Mount Pleasant FA – Los Angeles Galaxy
Referee: Kwinsi Williams TRI
Assistant Referee 1: Ainsley Rochard TRI
Assistant Referee 2: Kirt Charles TRI
Fourth Official: Ricangel De Leca ARU
VAR: Benjamín Whitty CAY
AVAR: Jesús Montero CRC

Tigres UANL – FC Cincinnati
Referee: Mario Escobar GUA
Assistant Referee 1: Luis Ventura GUA
Assistant Referee 2: Humberto Panjoj GUA
Fourth Official: Fernando Morón PAN
VAR: Diego Ojer GUA
AVAR: Dilia Bradley GUA

UEFA Champions League 2025/2026 – Round of 16 (Second Leg)

17 March 2026

Sporting CP – Bodo Glimt
Referee: Sandro Schärer SUI (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Jonas Erni SUI
Assistant Referee 2: Susanne Küng SUI
Fourth Official: Lukas Fähndrich SUI
VAR: Fedayi San SUI
AVAR: Andrew Dallas SCO
Referee Observer: Stefan Messner AUT

Chelsea FC – Paris St. Germain
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: Robert Schröder GER
Referee Observer: Stavros Tritsonis GRE

Manchester City – Real Madrid
Referee: Clément Turpin FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Danos FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Benjamin Pagès FRA
Fourth Official: Willy Delajod FRA
VAR: Jérôme Brisard FRA
AVAR: Bastien Dechepy FRA
Referee Observer: Edgar Steinborn GER

Arsenal FC – Bayer Leverkusen
Referee: Danny Makkelie NED
Assistant Referee 1: Hessel Steegstra NED
Assistant Referee 2: Jan de Vries NED
Fourth Official: Allard Lindhout NED
VAR: Dennis Higler NED
AVAR: Pol van Boekel NED
Referee Observer: Lucílio Batista POR

18 March 2026
FC Barcelona – Newcastle United
Referee: François Letexier FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Cyril Mugnier FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Mehdi Rahmouni FRA
Fourth Official: Jérémie Pignard FRA
VAR: Bram Van Driessche BEL
AVAR: Jérôme Brisard FRA
Referee Observer: Frank De Bleeckere BEL

Liverpool FC – Galatasaray
Referee: Szymon Marciniak POL
Assistant Referee 1: Tomasz Listkiewicz POL
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Kupsik POL
Fourth Official: Paweł Raczkowski POL
VAR: Marco Di Bello ITA
AVAR: Daniele Chiffi ITA
Referee Observer: Marián Ružbarský SVK

Bayern Munchen – Atalanta BC
Referee: Benoît Bastien FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Hicham Zakrani FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Aurélien Berthomieu FRA
Fourth Official: Mathieu Vernice FRA
VAR: Bastien Dechepy FRA
AVAR: Jarred Gillett ENG
Referee Observer: Levan Paniashvili GEO

Tottenham Hotspur – Atletico de Madrid
Referee: Daniel Siebert GER
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Seidel GER
Assistant Referee 2: Rafael Foltyn GER
Fourth Official: Daniel Schlager GER
VAR: Bastian Dankert GER
AVAR: Sören Storks GER
Referee Observer: Jan Wegereef NED

AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 – Semi-finals

17 March 2026

China – Australia
Referee: Supiree Testhomya THA (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Hinthong Supawan THA
Assistant Referee 2: Nuannid Donjangreed THA
Fourth Official: Doumouh Albakkar LBN
Reserve AR: Park Mi-Suk KOR
VAR: Sivakorn Pu-Udom THA
AVAR: Meshari Al-Shamari QAT
Referee Assessor: Thein Aye MYA

18 March 2026
Korea – Japan
Referee: Veronika Bernatskaia KGZ
Assistant Referee 1: Heba Saadieh PLE
Assistant Referee 2: Ha Thi Phuong VIE
Fourth Official: Lara Lee AUS
Reserve AR: Xie Lijun CHN
VAR: Muhammad Bin Jahari SIN
AVAR: Mamdouh Al-Shadan KSA
Referee Assessor: Widiya Shamsuri MAS

UEFA Youth League 2025/2026 – Quarter-finals

17 March 2026 

Atletico de Madrid – Club Brugge
Referee: Patrik Kolarić CRO (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Luka Pajić CRO
Assistant Referee 2: Ivan Starčević CRO
Fourth Official: Álvaro Rodríguez Recio ESP
Referee Observer: Carlos Clos Gómez ESP

Villarreal CF – Paris St. Germain
Referee: Florian Badstübner GER
Assistant Referee 1: Sven Waschitzki GER
Assistant Referee 2: Tobias Fritsch GER
Fourth Official: Borja Guijarro Colomer ESP
Referee Observer: Georgi Yordanov BUL

18 March 2026
Real Madrid – Sporting CP
Referee: Lothar D’Hondt BEL
Assistant Referee 1: Romain Devillers BEL
Assistant Referee 2: Nico Claes BEL
Fourth Official: Luis Morona Del Campo ESP
Referee Observer: Emil Laursen DEN

Inter Milano – SL Benfica
Referee: Oleksii Derevinskyi UKR
Assistant Referee 1: Oleksii Myronov UKR
Assistant Referee 2: Svitlana Grushko UKR
Fourth Official: Gianluca Manganiello ITA
Referee Observer: Alfredo Trentalange ITA

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers – Play-off Tournament (Semi-finals)

Mexico, 26 March 2026

Bolivia – Suriname
Referee: Alireza Faghani AUS (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: George Lakrindis AUS
Assistant Referee 2: James Lindsay AUS
Fourth Official: Mustapha Ghorbal ALG
VAR: Fedayi San SUI
AVAR: Ivan Bebek CRO

New Caledonia – Jamaica
Referee: Gustavo Tejera URU
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Taran URU
Assistant Referee 2: Carlos Barreiro URU
Fourth Official: Cristian Garay CHI
VAR: Juan Lara CHI
AVAR: Antonio Garcia URU

CAF Confederation Cup 2025/2026 – Quarter-finals (First Leg)

15 March 2026

Al Masry – CR Belouizdad
Referee: Jean Ndala COD (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Guylain Ngila COD
Assistant Referee 2: Gradel Mbilizi COD
Fourth Official: Alhadji Mahamat CHA
VAR: Dahane Beida MTN
AVAR: Carine Atezambong CMR

AS Otoho – Zamalek
Referee: Clement Kpan CIV
Assistant Referee 1: Adou Ngoh CIV
Assistant Referee 2: Eba Ettien CIV
Fourth Official: Aklesso Gnama TOG
VAR: Hamza El Fariq MAR
AVAR: Maria Rivet MRI

Maniema Union – USM Alger
Referee: Louis Houngnandande BEN
Assistant Referee 1: Eric Ayimavo BEN
Assistant Referee 2: Lucien Hontonnou BEN

Olympic Safi – Wydad AC
Referee: Mohamed Maarouf EGY
Assistant Referee 1: Mahmoud El-Regal EGY
Assistant Referee 2: Ahmed Hossam EGY
Fourth Official: Amin Omar EGY
VAR: Mahmoud Ashour EGY
AVAR: Hossam Haggag EGY

CAF Champions League 2025/2026 – Quarter-finals (First Leg)

13-15 March 2026

AS FAR – Pyramids
Referee: Omar Artan SOM (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Liban Abdulrazak DJI
Assistant Referee 2: Mohamed Ibrahim SDN
Fourth Official: Mahmood Ismail SDN
VAR: Daniel Laryea GHA
AVAR: Ahmed Shalmani LYB

Mamelodi Sundowns – Stade Malien
Referee: Pierre Atcho GAB
Assistant Referee 1: Boris Ditsoga GAB
Assistant Referee 2: Amos Abeigne GAB

VAR: Brighton Chimene ZIM

 
RS Berkane – Al Hilal
Referee: Abongile Tom RSA
Assistant Referee 1: Zakhele Siwela RSA
Assistant Referee 2: Souru Phatsoane LES
Fourth Official: Jelly Chavani RSA

Esperance de Tunis – Al Ahly
Referee: Issa Sy SEN
Assistant Referee 1: Djibril Camara SEN
Assistant Referee 2: Nouha Bangoura SEN
Fourth Official: Adalbert Diouf SEN
VAR: Ahmad Heeralall MRI
AVAR: Jerson Dos Santos ANG

AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 – Quarter-finals

13 March 2026

Australia – Korea DPR
Referee: Veronika Bernatskaia KGZ (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Heba Saadieh PLE
Assistant Referee 2: Hinthong Supawan THA
Fourth Official: Doumouh Albakkar LBN
Reserve AR: Makoto Bozono JPN
VAR: Muhammad Bin Jahari SIN
AVAR: Meshari Al-Shamari QAT
Referee Assessor: Thein Aye MYA

14 March 2026
China – Chinese Taipei
Referee: Oh Hyeon-Jeong KOR
Assistant Referee 1: Park Mi-Suk KOR
Assistant Referee 2: Lee Soo-Bin KOR
Fourth Official: Asaka Koizumi JPN
Reserve AR: Chihiro Ikki JPN
VAR: Sivakorn Pu-Udom THA
AVAR: Mamdouh Al-Shadan KSA
Referee Assessor: Thein Aye MYA

Korea – Uzbekistan
Referee: Lara Lee AUS
Assistant Referee 1: Emma Kocbek AUS
Assistant Referee 2: Madelaine Allum AUS
Fourth Official: Casey Reibelt AUS
Reserve AR: Ha Thi Phuong VIE
VAR: Katherine Jacewicz AUS
AVAR: Muhammad Bin Jahari SIN
Referee Assessor: Niu Huijun CHN

15 March 2026
Japan – Philippines
Referee: Dong Fangyu CHN
Assistant Referee 1: Xie Lijun CHN
Assistant Referee 2: Bao Mengxiao CHN
Fourth Official: Supiree Testhomya THA
Reserve AR: Nuannid Donjangreed THA
VAR: Fu Ming CHN
AVAR: Law Bik Chi HKG
Referee Assessor: Widiya Shamsuri MAS

UEFA Europa Conference League 2025/26 – Round of 16 (First Leg)

12 March 2026

Samsunspor – Rayo Vallecano
Referee: Marian Barbu ROU (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Mircea Grigoriu ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Adrian Vornicu ROU
Fourth Official: Sebastian Colţescu ROU
VAR: Cătălin Popa ROU
AVAR: Marcel Birsan ROU
Referee Observer: Cyril Zimmermann SUI

Lech Poznan – Shakhtar Donetsk
Referee: Rohit Saggi NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Anders Dale NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Jorgen Valstadsve NOR
Fourth Official: Daniel Higraff NOR
VAR: Kristoffer Hagenes NOR
AVAR: Marius Lien NOR
Referee Observer: Costas Kapitanis CYP

AZ Alkmaar – Sparta Praha
Referee: Sebastian Gishamer AUT
Assistant Referee 1: Santino Schreiner AUT
Assistant Referee 2: Roland Brandner AUT
Fourth Official: Walter Altmann AUT
VAR: Manuel Schuettengruber AUT
AVAR: Alan Kijas AUT
Referee Observer: Paolo Valeri ITA

HNK Rijeka – RC Strasbourg
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: Athanasios Tzilos GRE
Referee Observer: Stefan Johannesson SWE

Crystal Palace – AEK Larnaka
Referee: Igor Pajač CRO
Assistant Referee 1: Bojan Zobenica CRO
Assistant Referee 2: Ivan Mihalj CRO
Fourth Official: Dario Bel CRO
VAR: Ivan Bebek CRO
AVAR: Fran Jović CRO
Referee Observer: Leslie Irvine NIR

AC Fiorentina – Rakow Czestochowa
Referee: Georgi Kabakov BUL
Assistant Referee 1: Martin Margaritov BUL
Assistant Referee 2: Martin Venev BUL
Fourth Official: Radoslav Gidzhenov BUL
VAR: Dragomir Draganov BUL
AVAR: Nikola Popov BUL
Referee Observer: Carlos Clos Gómez ESP

NK Celje – AEK Athens
Referee: Luis Godinho POR
Assistant Referee 1: Rui Teixeira POR
Assistant Referee 2: Pedro Martins POR
Fourth Official: Fabio Verissimo POR
VAR: André Narciso POR
AVAR: Bruno Esteves POR
Referee Observer: Alain Hamer LUX

Sigma Olomouc – FSV Mainz
Referee: Mohammad Al-Emara FIN
Assistant Referee 1: Turkka Valjakka FIN
Assistant Referee 2: Mika Lamppu FIN
Fourth Official: Peiman Simani FIN
VAR: Pawel Malec POL
AVAR: Kornel Paszkiewicz POL
Referee Observer: Kyros Vassaras GRE

UEFA Europa League 2025/2026 – Round of 16 (First Leg)

12 March 2026

Panathinaikos – Real Betis
Referee: Szymon Marciniak POL (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Tomasz Listkiewicz POL
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Kupsik POL
Fourth Official: Pawel Raczkowski POL
VAR: Jarred Gillett ENG
AVAR: Matthew Donohue ENG
Referee Observer: Dejan Filipović SRB

Bologna FC – AS Roma
Referee: Sven Jablonski GER
Assistant Referee 1: Eduard Beitinger GER
Assistant Referee 2: Lasse Koslowski GER
Fourth Official: Harm Osmers GER
VAR: Bastian Dankert GER
AVAR: Robert Schröder GER
Referee Observer: Rune Pedersen NOR

VfB Stuttgart – FC Porto
Referee: Donatas Rumšas LTU
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandr Radiuš LTU
Assistant Referee 2: Dovydas Sužiedėlis LTU
Fourth Official: Manfredas Lukjančukas LTU
VAR: Dennis Higler NED
AVAR: Pol van Boekel NED
Referee Observer: Hugh Dallas SCO

LOSC Lille – Aston Villa
Referee: José Sánchez Martinez ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Raúl Cabañero Martinez ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Iñigo Prieto Lopez ESP
Fourth Official: Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz ESP
VAR: César Soto Grado ESP
AVAR: Carlos Del Cerro Grande ESP
Referee Observer: Vladimir Antonov MDA

Ferencvarosi TC – SC Braga
Referee: Nicholas Walsh SCO
Assistant Referee 1: Francis Connor SCO
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel McFarlane SCO
Fourth Official: Donald Robertson SCO
VAR: Darren England ENG
AVAR: Kevin Clancy SCO
Referee Observer: Cüneyt Çakir TUR

KRC Genk – SC Freiburg
Referee: Christopher Kavanagh ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Daniel Cook ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Ian Hussin ENG
Fourth Official: Samuel Barrott ENG
VAR: Stuart Attwell ENG
AVAR: Peter Bankes ENG
Referee Observer: Vítor Melo Pereira POR

Celta de Vigo – Olympique Lyonnais
Referee: Erik Lambrechts BEL
Assistant Referee 1: Jo de Weirdt BEL
Assistant Referee 2: Kevin Monteny BEL
Fourth Official: Nathan Verboomen BEL
VAR: Bram Van Driessche BEL
AVAR: Jan Boterberg BEL
Referee Observer: Elmir Pilav BIH

Nottingham Forrest – FC Midtjylland
Referee: Rade Obrenović SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Jure Praprotnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Grega Kordež SVN
Fourth Official: Martin Matoša SVN
VAR: Matej Jug SVN
AVAR: Rob Dieperink NED
Referee Observer: Luis Medina Cantalejo ESP

Masked fan pulls the plug on VAR in bizarre sabotage

A masked fan unplugged a VAR monitor during a German second division match on ​Sunday in an audacious act of sabotage ‌that left the referee looking at a blank screen when he was called to review a potential penalty. The ​bizarre incident unfolded during the Bundesliga 2 ​clash between Preussen Muenster and visiting Hertha ⁠Berlin, when referee Felix Bickel was summoned ​to the pitch side monitor only to discover that ​someone had yanked out the power plug.

According to Muenster's website, a masked supporter had infiltrated the interior area and ​unplugged the VAR monitor, sabotaging the review ​process. German media reported that at the same time, home ‌fans ⁠displayed a banner reading "Pull the plug on VAR". With Bickel unable to view the replay, VAR official Katrin Rafalski in Cologne was forced to make ​the decision ​remotely, ruling ⁠the challenge was indeed a foul, prompting Bickel to award the penalty, ​which Hertha duly converted. The Berlin side ​eventually ⁠won the match 2–1 with a stoppage-time goal. Muenster later said the incident appeared to have been ⁠a ​planned action and that the ​club would do everything in its power to identify those responsible.

Source: Reuters

Concacaf Champions Cup 2026 – Round of 16 (First Leg)

10 March 2026
Philadelphia Union – Club America
Referee: Keylor Herrera CRC (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Carlos Fernández CRC
Assistant Referee 2: Danny Sojo CRC
Fourth Official: José García SLV
VAR: Benjamín Pineda CRC
AVAR: Yasith Monge CRC

CF Monterrey – Cruz Azul
Referee: Drew Fischer CAN
Assistant Referee 1: Micheal Barwegen CAN
Assistant Referee 2: Lyes Arfa CAN
Fourth Official: Guido González USA
VAR: José Rivero USA
AVAR: Allen Chapman USA

Los Angeles FC – LD Alajuelense
Referee: Víctor Cáceres MEX
Assistant Referee 1: Jorge Sánchez MEX
Assistant Referee 2: Jonathan Gómez MEX
Fourth Official: Jorge Camacho MEX
VAR: Diana Pérez MEX
AVAR: Erick Miranda MEX

11 March 2026
Nashville SC – Inter Miami
Referee: Juan Calderón CRC
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Mora CRC
Assistant Referee 2: William Arrieta CRC
Fourth Official: Josué Ugalde CRC
VAR: David Gómez CRC
AVAR: Selvin Brown HON

Los Angeles Galaxy – Mount Pleasant FA
Referee: Reon Radix GRN
Assistant Referee 1: Zachari Zeegelaar SUR
Assistant Referee 2: Clinton Hayward BER
Fourth Official: José Torres PUR
VAR: Benjamín Whitty CAY
AVAR: Benjamín Pineda CRC

San Diego FC – Toluca FC
Referee: Walter López GUA
Assistant Referee 1: Keytzel Corrales NCA
Assistant Referee 2: Raymundo Feliz DOM
Fourth Official: Oliver Vergara PAN
VAR: Tatiana Guzmán NCA
AVAR: Yasith Monge CRC

12 March 2026
FC Cincinnati – Tigres UANL
Referee: Steven Madrigal CRC
Assistant Referee 1: Luis Granados CRC
Assistant Referee 2: Jeriel Valverde CRC
Fourth Official: Bryan López GUA
VAR: Yasith Monge CRC
AVAR: Benjamín Pineda CRC

Vancouver Whitecaps – Seattle Sounders
Referee: César Ramos MEX
Assistant Referee 1: Alberto Morín MEX
Assistant Referee 2: Marco Bisguerra MEX
Fourth Official: Jesús López MEX
VAR: Erick Miranda MEX
AVAR: Selvin Brown HON

Wild brawl with 23 red cards in Brazil

Cruziero and Atletico Mineiro played each other in the Mineiro Championship Final. Cruziero won the Mineiro Championship, and as the game was set to end, the home side were close to scoring a second goal, but Atletico Mineiro goalkeeper Everson managed to keep the ball. Cruzeiro forward Christian Cardoso attempted to score after Everson initially did not catch the ball, which led to the Brazilian keeper falling. Everson was furious after Cardoso's dangerous attempt to score and put his knee on top of the Cruzeiro attacker. This initiated wild scenes on the pitch as multiple Cruzeiro players confronted Everson for his attack on Cardoso. Players started swinging at each other with punches and kicks, including players from the bench.

The match was delayed for around 8 minutes, which led to the referee Matheus Candançan issuing 23 red cards. A total of 12 Cruziero players received a red card, including the goalscorer Kaio Jorge, who was seen throwing a punch at Atletico Mineiro goalkeeper Gabriel Delfim. A total of 11 Atletico Mineiro players received a red card, including Hulk, who is one of the well-known players in the Brazilian league for his past in Europe and with the Brazilian national team.

Source: Yahoo Sports

UEFA Champions League 2025/2026 – Round of 16 (First Leg)

10 March 2026

Galatasaray – Liverpool
Referee: Jesús Gil Manzano ESP (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Ángel Nevado Rodriguez ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Guadalupe Porras Ayuso ESP
Fourth Official: Juan Martínez Munuera ESP
VAR: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández ESP
AVAR: Valentín Pizarro Gómez ESP
Referee Observer: Vlado Svilokos CRO

Atalanta BC – Bayern Munchen
Referee: Espen Eskas NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Engan NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Isaak Bashevkin NOR
Fourth Official: Sigurd Kringstad NOR
VAR: Tiago Martins POR
AVAR: Dennis Higler NED
Referee Observer: Martin Atkinson ENG

Newcastle United – FC Barcelona
Referee: Marco Guida ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Giorgio Peretti ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Giuseppe Perrotti ITA
Fourth Official: Matteo Marcenaro ITA
VAR: Daniele Chiffi ITA
AVAR: Marco Di Bello ITA
Referee Observer: Drago Kos SVN

Atletico de Madrid – Tottenham Hotspur
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: Rob Dieperink NED
Referee Observer: Domenico Messina ITA

11 March 2026
Bayer Leverkusen – Arsenal FC
Referee: Halil Meler TUR
Assistant Referee 1: Ibrahim Uyarcan TUR
Assistant Referee 2: Abdullah Özkara TUR
Fourth Official: Cihan Aydin TUR
VAR: Rob Dieperink NED
AVAR: Tiago Martins POR
Referee Observer: Carlos Velasco Carballo ESP

Paris St. Germain – Chelsea FC
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: César Soto Grado ESP
Referee Observer: Alfredo Trentalange ITA

Real Madrid – Manchester City
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: Jon Skjervold NOR

Bodo Glimt – Sporting CP
Referee: Ivan Kružliak SVK
Assistant Referee 1: Branislav Hancko SVK
Assistant Referee 2: Jan Pozor SVK
Fourth Official: Michal Očenáš SVK
VAR: Bastian Dankert GER
AVAR: Robert Schröder GER
Referee Observer: Pascal Garibian FRA

CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026 – Third Round (First Leg)

10-12 March 2026

Botafogo – Barcelona
Referee: Piero Maza CHI (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Claudio Urrutia CHI
Assistant Referee 2: Miguel Rocha CHI
Fourth Official: Mathias Riquelme CHI
VAR: Juan Lara CHI
AVAR: Edson Cisternas CHI
Referee Assessor: Fernando Falce URU
VAR Supervisor: Angel Sanchez ARG

Sporting Cristal – Carabobo
Referee: Gustavo Tejera URU
Assistant Referee 1: Martin Soppi URU
Assistant Referee 2: Horacio Ferreiro URU
Fourth Official: Jose Burgos URU
VAR: Christian Ferreyra URU
AVAR: Santiago Fernandez URU
Referee Assessor: Marcelo Rogerio BRA
VAR Supervisor: Victor Martinez PAR

Deportes Tolima – O’Higgins
Referee: Anderson Daronco BRA
Assistant Referee 1: Danilo Manis BRA
Assistant Referee 2: Bruno Boschilia BRA
Fourth Official: Bruno Arleu BRA
VAR: Daniel Nobre BRA
AVAR: Rodrigo Guarizo BRA
Referee Assessor: Ubaldo Aquino PAR
VAR Supervisor: Emerson De Carvalho BRA

Independiente Medellin – Juventud
Referee: Juan Benitez PAR
Assistant Referee 1: Eduardo Cardozo PAR
Assistant Referee 2: Milciades Saldivar PAR
Fourth Official: David Ojeda PAR
VAR: Ulises Mereles PAR
AVAR: Carlos Figueredo PAR
Referee Assessor: Cesar Escano PER
VAR Supervisor: Patricio Polic CHI

FIFA World Cup 2026 – Prospective Referees and Video Match Officials

AFC

Referees
1. Alireza Faghani (AUS, 1978, photo)
2. Ma Ning (CHN, 1979)
3. Yusuke Araki (JPN, 1986)
4. Adham Makhadmeh (JOR, 1986)
5. Khalid Al-Turais (KSA, 1987)
6. Ahmed Al Kaf (OMA, 1983)
7. Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (QAT, 1987)
8. Salman Falahi (QAT, 1990)
9. Omar Al-Ali (UAE, 1988)
10. Ilgiz Tantashev (UZB, 1984)

Video Match Officials
1. Shaun Evans (AUS, 1987)
2. Kate Jacewicz (AUS, 1985)
3. Fu Ming (CHN, 1983)
4. Jumpei Iida (JPN, 1981)
5. Kim Woo-Sung (KOR, 1987)
6. Khamis Al-Marri (QAT, 1984)
7. Abdullah Al-Shehri (KSA, 1992)
8. Muhammad Bin Jahari (SIN, 1986)
9. Sivakorn Pu-Udom (THA, 1987)
10. Mohammed Obaid (UAE, 1984)

CAF
Referees
1. Mustapha Ghorbal (ALG, 1985)
2. Jean Ndala (COD, 1987)
3. Amin Omar (EGY, 1985)
4. Pierre Atcho (GAB, 1992)
5. Dahane Beida (MTN, 1991)
6. Jalal Jayed (MAR, 1987)
7. Issa Sy (SEN, 1984)
8. Omar Artan (SOM, 1992)
9. Abongile Tom (RSA, 1991)
10. Mahmood Ismail (SDN, 1988)

Video Match Officials
1. Lahlou Benbraham (ALG, 1986)
2. Mahmoud Ashour (EGY, 1976)
3. Letticia Viana (ESW, 1985)
4. Hamza El-Fariq (MAR, 1990)
5. Maria Rivet (MRI, 1984)
6. Abongile Tom (RSA, 1991)
7. Haythem Guirat (TUN, 1990)

CONCACAF
Referees
1. Drew Fischer (CAN, 1980)
2. Juan Calderon (CRC, 1987)
3. Ivan Barton (SLV, 1991)
4. Mario Escobar (GUA, 1986)
5. Said Martinez (HON, 1991)
6. Oshane Nation (JAM, 1991)
7. Cesar Ramos (MEX, 1983)
8. Katia Garcia (MEX, 1992)
9. Joseph Dickerson (USA, 1987)
10. Ismail Elfath (USA, 1982)
11. Tori Penso (USA, 1985)

Video Match Officials
1. Benjamin Pineda (CRC, 1987)
2. Erick Miranda (MEX, 1982)
3. Guillermo Pacheco (MEX, 1995)
4. Tatiana Guzman (NCA, 1985)
5. Allen Chapman (USA, 1974)
6. Armando Villarreal (USA, 1986)

CONMEBOL
Referees
1. Yael Falcon (ARG, 1988)
2. Dario Herrera (ARG, 1985))
3. Facundo Tello (ARG, 1982))
4. Ramon Abatti (BRA, 1989)
5. Raphael Claus (BRA, 1979)
6. Wilton Sampaio (BRA, 1981)
7. Cristian Garay (CHI, 1989)
8. Andres Rojas (COL, 1984)
9. Juan Benitez (PAR, 1984)
10. Kevin Ortega (PER, 1992)
11. Andres Matonte (URU, 1988)
12. Gustavo Tejera (URU, 1988)
13. Jesus Valenzuela (VEN, 1983)

Video Match Officials
1. Hernan Mastrangelo (ARG, 1981)
2. Daiane Muniz (BRA, 1988)
3. Rodolpho Toski (BRA, 1987)
4. Rodrigo Carvajal (CHI, 1986)
5. Juan Lara (CHI, 1989)
6. Nicolas Gallo (COL, 1986)
7. Antonio Garcia (URU, 1986)
8. Leodan Gonzalez (URU, 1983)
9. Juan Soto (VEN, 1977)

OFC
Referee
1. Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh (NZL, 1983)

UEFA
Referees
1. Irfan Peljto (BIH, 1984)
2. Michael Oliver (ENG, 1985)
3. Anthony Taylor (ENG, 1978)
4. Francois Letexier (FRA, 1989)
5. Clement Turpin (FRA, 1982)
6. Felix Zwayer (GER, 1981)
7. Maurizio Mariani (ITA, 1982)
8. Danny Makkelie (NED, 1983)
9. Espen Eskas (NOR, 1988)
10. Szymon Marciniak (POL, 1981)
11. Joao Pinheiro (POR, 1988)
12. Istvan Kovacs (ROU, 1984)
13. Slavko Vinčić (SVN, 1979)
14. Jose Sanchez Martinez (ESP, 1983)
15. Glenn Nyberg (SWE, 1988)
16. Sandro Schärer (SUI, 1988)

Video Match Officials
1. Bram Van Driessche (BEL, 1985)
2. Ivan Bebek (CRO, 1977)
3. Jarred Gillett (ENG, 1986)
4. Jerôme Brisard (FRA, 1986)
5. Bastian Dankert (GER, 1980)
6. Marco Di Bello (ITA, 1981)
7. Rob Dieperink (NED, 1988)
8. Dennis Higler (NED, 1985)
9. Tomasz Kwiatkowski (POL, 1978)
10. Carlos Del Cerro Grande (ESP, 1976)
11. Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez (ESP, 1982)
12. Fedayi San (SUI, 1982)

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 Qualifiers – UEFA (Matchday 2)

7 March 2026

England – Iceland
Referee: Silvia Gasperotti ITA (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Stefania Signorelli ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Alessia Cerrato ITA
Fourth Official: Maria Marotta ITA
Referee Observer: Elke Günther GER

Kazakhstan – Belarus
Referee: Tjaša Misja SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Sladjana Jovičić SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Kaja Škrban SVN
Fourth Official: Aleksandra Česen SVN
Referee Observer: Dilan Gökçek Işcan TUR

Bosnia and Herzegovina – Liechtenstein
Referee: Asen Albayrak TUR
Assistant Referee 1: Arzu Görgün TUR
Assistant Referee 2: Ayenur Karakoc TUR
Fourth Official: Melek Dakan TUR
Referee Observer: Aneliya Sinabova BUL

Cyprus – Romania
Referee: Eszter Urban HUN
Assistant Referee 1: Nikolett Bizderi HUN
Assistant Referee 2: Noemi Hegedus-Barath HUN
Fourth Official: Katalin Sipos HUN
Referee Observer: Viola Raudziņa LVA

Finland – Latvia
Referee: Tatyana Sorokopudova KAZ
Assistant Referee 1: Nargis Magau KAZ
Assistant Referee 2: Dinara Idrisova KAZ
Fourth Official: Oxana Cruc MDA
Referee Observer: Marta Frías Acedo.ESP

Hungary – Azerbaijan
Referee: Filipa Cunha POR
Assistant Referee 1: Andreia Sousa POR
Assistant Referee 2: Cristiana Costa POR
Fourth Official: Sara Alves POR
Referee Observer: Jelena Banjeglav-Rankov SRB

North Macedonia – Andorra
Referee: Charlotte Carpenter WAL
Assistant Referee 1: Ceri Williams WAL
Assistant Referee 2: Michelle Portelli WAL
Fourth Official: Iwan Griffith WAL
Referee Observer: Aušra Kancė LTU

Serbia – Sweden
Referee: Fabienne Michel GER
Assistant Referee 1: Anne Uersfeld GER
Assistant Referee 2: Isabel Steinke GER
Fourth Official: Angelika Soeder GER
Referee Observer: Gyöngyi Gaál HUN

Lithuania – Estonia
Referee: Marina Višnjić-Živković SRB
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandra Kostić SRB
Assistant Referee 2: Andrea Mijailović SRB
Fourth Official: Milica Milovanović SRB
Referee Observer: Hilda McDermott IRL

Portugal – Slovakia
Referee: Martina Molinaro ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Veronica Martinelli ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Laura Gasparini ITA
Fourth Official: Deborah Bianchi ITA
Referee Observer: Dagmar Damková CZE

Belgium – Israel
Referee: Rasa Grigone LTU
Assistant Referee 1: Irina Pozdejeva LTU
Assistant Referee 2: Ieva Ramanauskiene LTU
Fourth Official: Ugne Šmitaite LTU
Referee Observer: Katarzyna Wierzbowska POL

Croatia – Kosovo
Referee: Lovisa Johansson SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Camilla Stendahl SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Tilde Larsson SWE
Fourth Official: Selma Griberg SWE
Referee Observer: Sandra Renon FRA

Wales – Montenegro
Referee: Caroline Lanssens BEL
Assistant Referee 1: Margot Jacobs BEL
Assistant Referee 2: Amina Gutschi AUT
Fourth Official: Fabienne Hofer AUT
Referee Observer: Kirsi Heikkinen FIN

Norway – Germany
Referee: Stéphanie Frappart FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Camille Soriano FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Melissa Rossignol FRA
Fourth Official: Elisa Daupeux FRA
Referee Observer: Emilia Wnuk POL

Ukraine – Spain
Referee: Maika Vanderstichel FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Elodie Coppola FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Jennifer Maubacq FRA
Fourth Official: Clémence Goncalves FRA
Referee Observer: Rhona Coombes IRL

Scotland – Luxembourg
Referee: Nanna Andersen DEN
Assistant Referee 1: Sidsel Dall DEN
Assistant Referee 2: Katrine Stensholm DEN
Fourth Official: Frederikke Sokjaer DEN
Referee Observer: Tanja Subotič SVN

Albania – Czechia
Referee: Lotta Vuorio FIN
Assistant Referee 1: Heini Hyvönen FIN
Assistant Referee 2: Taru Tiensuu FIN
Fourth Official: Lina Lehtovaara FIN
Referee Observer: Graziella Pirriatore ITA

Italy – Denmark
Referee: Désirée Blanco SUI
Assistant Referee 1: Susanne Küng SUI
Assistant Referee 2: Linda Schmid SUI
Fourth Official: Michèle Schmölzer SUI
Referee Observer: Christine Frai GER

Slovenia – Austria
Referee: Hristiyana Guteva BUL
Assistant Referee 1: Pavleta Rashkova BUL
Assistant Referee 2: Liliya Dumbalakova BUL
Fourth Official: Kristina Georgieva BUL
Referee Observer: Kateryna Monzul UKR

Malta – Switzerland
Referee: Jelena Medjedović SRB
Assistant Referee 1: Andrea Marinković SRB
Assistant Referee 2: Maja Milošević SRB
Fourth Official: Mima Stanković SRB
Referee Observer: Knarik Grigoryan ARM

Gibraltar – Bulgaria
Referee: Laura Mauricio SUI
Assistant Referee 1: Melissa Dos Santos SUI
Assistant Referee 2: Laetitia Nuara SUI
Fourth Official: Deborah Anex SUI
Referee Observer: Nelly Viennot FRA

Greece – Faroe Islands
Referee: Jeļena Jermolajeva LVA
Assistant Referee 1: Diana Vanaga LVA
Assistant Referee 2: Marita Vitola LVA
Fourth Official: Tatjana Lavrentika LVA
Referee Observer: Anja Kunick GER

Northern Ireland – Türkiye
Referee: Olivia Tschon AUT
Assistant Referee 1: Biljana Iskin AUT
Assistant Referee 2: Linda Achmüller AUT
Fourth Official: Lena Hirtl AUT
Referee Observer: Vesna Budimir CRO

Netherlands – Ireland
Referee: Frida Klarlund DEN
Assistant Referee 1: Monica Lokkkeberg NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Alisa Levalampi SWE
Fourth Official: Julie Thomsen DEN
Referee Observer: Esther Staubli SUI

France – Poland
Referee: Alina Peşu ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Daniela Constantinescu ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Anita Vad HUN
Fourth Official: Roxana Recorean ROU
Referee Observer: Silvia Spinelli ITA

AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 – Group Stage (Matches 13-20)

8 March 2026

Australia – Korea
Referee: Yoshimi Yamashita JPN (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Makoto Bozono JPN
Assistant Referee 2: Chihiro Ikki JPN
Fourth Official: Asaka Koizumi JPN
VAR: Jumpei Iida JPN
AVAR: Meshari Al-Shamari QAT
Referee Assessor: Widiya Shamsuri MAS

Iran – Philippines
Referee: Tian Jin CHN
Assistant Referee 1: Xie Lijun CHN
Assistant Referee 2: Bao Mengxiao CHN
Fourth Official: Dong Fangyu CHN
VAR: Fu Ming CHN
AVAR: Law Bik Chi HKG
Referee Assessor: Heba Abed JOR

9 March 2026
Bangladesh – Uzbekistan
Referee: Mahnaz Zokaee IRN
Assistant Referee 1: Park Mi-Suk KOR
Assistant Referee 2: Riiohlang Dhar IND
Fourth Official: Doumouh Albakkar LBN
VAR: Mamdouh Al-Shadan KSA
AVAR: Kim Hee-Gon KOR
Referee Assessor: Thein Aye MYA

Korea DPR – China
Referee: Le Thi Ly VIE
Assistant Referee 1: Ha Thi Phuong VIE
Assistant Referee 2: Nuannid Donjangreed THA
Fourth Official: Lara Lee AUS
VAR: Katherine Jacewicz AUS
AVAR: Meshari Al-Shamari QAT 

Referee Assessor: Sachiko Yamagishi JPN

10 March 2026
Japan – Vietnam
Referee: Kim Yu-Jeong KOR
Assistant Referee 1: Heba Saadieh PLE
Assistant Referee 2: Hinthong Supawan THA
Fourth Official: Pansa Chaisanit THA
VAR: Kim Hee-Gon KOR
AVAR: Muhammad Bin Jahari SIN
Referee Assessor: Thein Aye MYA

India – Chinese Taipei
Referee: Casey Reibelt AUS
Assistant Referee 1: Emma Kocbek AUS
Assistant Referee 2: Madelaine Allum AUS
Fourth Official: Supiree Testhomya THA
VAR: Katherine Jacewicz AUS
AVAR: Sivakorn Pu-Udom THA
Referee Assessor: Widiya Shamsuri MAS

FIFA Women's World Cup 2027 – Seminar for Prospective Referees (CONMEBOL & CONCACAF)

Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), 21-27 March 2026

CONMEBOL

1. Alejandra Quisbert (BOL, 1992)
2. Edina Alves (BRA, 1980, photo)
3. Daiane Muniz (BRA, 1988)
4. Charly Straub (BRA, 1987)
5. Dione Rissios (CHI, 1990)
6. Maria Daza (COL, 1986)
7. Veronica Guazhambo (ECU, 1996)
8. Zulma Quinonez (PAR, 1986)
9. Milagros Arruela (PER, 1992)
10. Anahi Fernandez (URU, 1993)
11. Emikar Calderas (VEN, 1990)

CONCACAF
1. Myriam Marcotte (CAN, 1992)
2. Carly Shaw-MacLaren (CAN, 1996)
3. Marianela Araya (CRC, 1988)
4. Deily Gomez (CRC, 1995)
5. Vimarest Diaz (DOM, 1996)
6. Katia Garcia (MEX, 1992)
7. Lizzet Garcia (MEX, 1990)
8. Karen Hernandez (MEX, 1994)
9. Janeishka Caban (PUR, 1997)
10. Ekaterina Koroleva (USA, 1987)
11. Alyssa Pennington (USA, 1996)
12. Tori Penso (USA, 1985)
13. Natalie Simon (USA, 1993)

AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 – Group Stage (Matches 9-12)

6 March 2026

Bangladesh – Korea DPR
Referee: Doumouh Albakkar LBN (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Amal Badhafari UAE
Assistant Referee 2: Riiohlang Dhar IND
Fourth Official: Mahnaz Zokaee IRN
VAR: Meshari Al-Shamari QAT
AVAR: Mamdouh Al-Shadan KSA
Referee Assessor: Sachiko Yamagishi JPN

Uzbekistan – China
Referee: Supiree Testhomya THA
Assistant Referee 1: Hinthong Supawan THA
Assistant Referee 2: Nuannid Donjangreed THA
Fourth Official: Pansa Chaisanit THA
VAR: Sivakorn Pu-Udom THA
AVAR: Jumpei Iida JPN
Referee Assessor: Hong Eun-Ah KOR

7 March 2026
Chinese Taipei – Vietnam
Referee: Lara Lee AUS
Assistant Referee 1: Emma Kocbek AUS
Assistant Referee 2: Madelaine Allum AUS
Fourth Official: Casey Reibelt AUS
VAR: Katherine Jacewicz AUS
AVAR: Meshari Al-Shamari QAT
Referee Assessor: Niu Huijun CHN

India – Japan
Referee: Veronika Bernatskaia KGZ
Assistant Referee 1: Sabreen Alabadi JOR
Assistant Referee 2: Hyon Un-Mi PRK
Fourth Official: Oh Hyeon-Jeong KOR
VAR: Kim Hee-Gon KOR
AVAR: Muhammad Bin Jahari SIN 

Referee Assessor: Thein Aye MYA

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