AFC Champions League Elite semi-final marred by controversial finish

With their first foray in continental football, Japan's Machida Zelvia have only gone all the way and reached the final of the AFC Champions League Elite. But their latest win - courtesy of Yuki Soma's first-half strike - in an already-remarkable campaign finished in controversial fashion, as Shabab Al Ahli were denied a dramatic 92nd-minute equaliser for the most technical of transgressions. Guilherme Bala looked to have forced extra-time with an outstanding solo effort but Machida, even in the build-up to the goal, had already been appealing over something that was not immediately apparent to most. As VAR conducted its review after referee Shaun Evans had initially allowed the goal to stand, it soon emerged that Shabab Al Ahli had restarted play from a throw-in before Machida had completed a substitution. Machida have a valid argument that they were not ready for the restart, especially considering the goal came down the flank that substitute Henry Heroki Mochizuki was headed towards as he replaced Hotaka Nakamura at right-wingback - although he might not have been in position in any case considering he had to cross the entire width of the field from the opposite touchline. Still, it is understandable how Shabab Al Ahli will feel hard done by - in potentially the first-ever case of a goal overturned by VAR due to a substitution.

There was also another contentious moment in the first half when Evans awarded a penalty for a trip on Soma by Shabab Al Ahli captain Fede Cartabia - only to be called to the side for a VAR review. The touch was slight but there did seem to be contact as Cartabia's left foot clipped the the toes of Soma as he was bursting into the six-yard box but - after a very brief period of time in front of the monitor, where he was offered just one angle of the incident - Evans decided to overturn his original decision.

VAR was again prominent four minutes after the hour mark although, on this occasion, it was to confirm a disallowed goal by Shabab Al Ahli rather than overturn one that had been given. And it was the correct call with Bala originally in an offside position as Yuri César swung in a delivery from the left, before the ball was helped into his path by Gen Shoji's misdirected clearance header for him to glance home from close range. As the match wore on, it increasingly looked as though Machida had done enough to keep their fairytale run going - and they ultimately did. But only after one final twist of the tale. Chaos ensued. Even before Evans had gone to his monitor, he looked to have flashed a yellow to Cartabia - which would have been the Argentine's second since he had been substituted - but neglected to follow up with a red. Once Evans had made his decision, he was -- as expected - surrounded by a Shabab Al Ahli mob crying out at the perceived injustice.

Then, when the final whistle blew after 103 controversy-laden minutes, more bedlam. Evans was once again beset on by the seething Shabab Al Ahli players as fingers were pointed precariously close to his face. Initially, his only protection was two Shabab Al Ahli substitutes - who were clearly more concerned about ensuring none of their team-mates would do something they might regret - before several police personnel stepped in to ensure Evans' safe exit. Al-Meqbaali, who had been one of the calmer Shabab Al Ahli players when the goal was originally disallowed, became another to be shown a card: a straight red. Wisely, Machida stayed in the middle of the park -- maintaining their distance away from the turmoil.

Source: ESPN

AFC Champions League Elite 2025/2026 – Semi-finals

20 April 2026

Vissel Kobe – Al Ahli Saudi
Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev UZB (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Andrey Tsapenko UZB
Assistant Referee 2: Taleb Al-Marri QAT
Fourth Official: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim QAT
Reserve AR: Mohammad Al-Kalaf JOR
VAR: Muhammad Bin Jahari SIN
AVAR: Firdavs Norsafarov UZB
Referee Assessor: Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh MAS

21 April 2026
Machida Zelvia – Shabab Al Ahli
Referee: Shaun Evans AUS
Assistant Referee 1: George Lakrindis AUS
Assistant Referee 2: Zhou Fei CHN
Fourth Official: Adham Makhadmeh JOR
Reserve AR: Mohammed Al-Abakry KSA
VAR: Sivakorn Pu-Udom THA
AVAR: Kim Woo-Sung KOR 

Referee Assessor: Vladislav Tseytlin UZB

UEFA Youth League Final 2026: Saggi (NOR)

20 April 2026

Club Brugge – Real Madrid
Referee: Rohit Saggi NOR (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Anders Dale NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Jorgen Valstadsve NOR
Fourth Official: Marius Grotta NOR
VAR: Marco Di Bello ITA
AVAR: Kristoffer Hagenes NOR
Referee Observer: Björn Kuipers NED

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 Qualifiers – UEFA (Matchday 4)

18 April 2026

France – Netherlands
Referee: Maria Ferrieri Caputi ITA (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Stefania Signorelli ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Emily Carney ENG
Fourth Official: Maria Marotta ITA
Referee Observer: Marta Frías Acedo ESP 

Denmark – Italy
Referee: Emanuela Rusta ALB
Assistant Referee 1: Mirjeta Salla ALB
Assistant Referee 2: Edjena Kapxhiu ALB
Fourth Official: Kejsi Tafili ALB
Referee Observer: Cheryl Foster WAL 

Spain – Ukraine
Referee: Fabienne Michel GER
Assistant Referee 1: Anne Ursfeld GER
Assistant Referee 2: Isabel Steinke GER
Fourth Official: Sina Diekmann GER
Referee Observer: Blaženka Logarušić CRO 

Sweden – Serbia
Referee: Désirée Blanco SUI
Assistant Referee 1: Linda Schmid SUI
Assistant Referee 2: Susanne Küng SUI
Fourth Official: Vanessa Mühlheim SUI
Referee Observer: Hilda McDermott IRL 

Belarus – Kazakhstan
Referee: Andromachi Tsiofliki GRE
Assistant Referee 1: Georgia Komisopoulou GRE
Assistant Referee 2: Maria Detsi GRE
Fourth Official: Alexandra Deligianni GRE
Referee Observer: Ana Aguiar POR

Hungary – North Macedonia
Referee: Paola Cebollada López ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Rocio Puente Pino ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Carmela Capistrós Bitrián ESP
Fourth Official: Andrea Fírvida Fernández ESP
Referee Observer: Sharon Sluyts BEL

Romania – Cyprus
Referee: Nadine Reichmuth SUI
Assistant Referee 1: Sabrina Keinersdorfer SUI
Assistant Referee 2: Melissa Dos Santos SUI
Fourth Official: Laura Mauricio SUI
Referee Observer: Rhona Coombes IRL 

Azerbaijan – Andorra
Referee: Vesna Miletić BIH
Assistant Referee 1: Merima Homarac BIH
Assistant Referee 2:Nevena Marković BIH
Fourth Official: Senida Petak BIH
Referee Observer: Galina Doneva BUL

Ireland – Poland
Referee: Aleksandra Česen SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Staša Špur SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Helena Buh SVN
Fourth Official: Vanja Janković SVN
Referee Observer: Carolina De Boeck BEL 

Slovakia – Portugal
Referee: Maika Vanderstichel FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Elodie Coppola FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Melissa Rossignol FRA
Fourth Official: Clémence Goncalves FRA
Referee Observer: Esther Staubli SUI 

Montenegro – Czechia
Referee: Louise Thompson NIR
Assistant Referee 1: Rachel Greer NIR
Assistant Referee 2: Lauren Trainor NIR
Fourth Official: Lorraine Watson SCO
Referee Observer: Katarzyna Wierzbowska POL

Estonia – Lithuania
Referee: Asen Albayrak TUR
Assistant Referee 1: Arzu Görgün TUR
Assistant Referee 2: Merve Turan TUR
Fourth Official: Hatice Duygu TUR
Referee Observer: Teodora Albon ROU 

Liechtenstein – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Referee: Frederikke Sokjaer DEN
Assistant Referee 1: Katrine Stensholm DEN
Assistant Referee 2: Sidsel Dall DEN
Fourth Official: Frida Klarlund DEN
Referee Observer: Tanja Subotić SVN 

Croatia – Gibraltar
Referee: Zuzana Valentová SVK
Assistant Referee 1: Miroslava Pastoreková SVK
Assistant Referee 2: Alexandra Vargová SVK
Fourth Official: Petra Vajdečková SVK
Referee Observer: Ivana Vlaić BIH

Slovenia – Norway
Referee: Rasa Grigone LTU
Assistant Referee 1: Irina Pozdejeva LTU
Assistant Referee 2: Ieva Ramanauskiene LTU
Fourth Official: Ugne Šmitaite LTU
Referee Observer: Antonia Kokotou GRE 

Austria – Germany
Referee: Iuliana Demetrescu ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Bianca Florea ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Roxana Ivanov ROU
Fourth Official: Madalina Gherghi ROU
Referee Observer: Miroslava Migalová SVK

Luxembourg – Israel
Referee: Jelena Medjedović SRB
Assistant Referee 1: Ivana Jovanović SRB
Assistant Referee 2: Andrea Marinković SRB
Fourth Official: Jasmina Mickoska SRB
Referee Observer: Ausra Kance LTU 

Albania – Wales
Referee: Lizzy Van Der Helm NED
Assistant Referee 1: Martina Boer NED
Assistant Referee 2: Isabelle van Gilst NED
Fourth Official: Wendy Gijsbers NED
Referee Observer: Esther Azzopardi MLT 

Türkiye – Switzerland
Referee: Katalin Kulcsár HUN
Assistant Referee 1: Anita Vad HUN
Assistant Referee 2: Nikolett Bizderi HUN
Fourth Official: Eszter Urban HUN
Referee Observer: Regina Belksma-Konink NED

Kosovo – Bulgaria
Referee: Jana Van Laere BEL
Assistant Referee 1: Margot Jacobs BEL
Assistant Referee 2: Melissa Lejear BEL
Fourth Official: Caroline Lanssens BEL
Referee Observer: Sandra Renon FRA

Faroe Islands – Georgia
Referee: Stacey Pearson ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Leoni Harland ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Ruby Sykes ENG
Fourth Official: Phoebe Cross ENG
Referee Observer: Catherine Eide NOR

Iceland – England
Referee: Michalina Diakow POL
Assistant Referee 1: Paulina Baranowska POL
Assistant Referee 2: Julia Bukarowicz POL
Fourth Official: Anna Adamska POL
Referee Observer: Petra Pavlíková SVK 

Malta – Northern Ireland
Referee: Lina Lehtovaara FIN
Assistant Referee 1: Heini Hyvönen FIN
Assistant Referee 2: Laura Koskinen FIN
Fourth Official: Lotta Vuorio FIN
Referee Observer: Marta Atzori ITA 

Latvia – Finland
Referee: Lovisa Johansson SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Almira Spahić SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Tilde Larsson SWE
Fourth Official: Selma Griberg SWE
Referee Observer: Wendy Toms ENG 

Belgium – Scotland
Referee: Réka Molnar HUN
Assistant Referee 1: Judit Kulcsár HUN
Assistant Referee 2: Noemi Hegedus-Barath HUN
Fourth Official: Zsófia Molnár-Sáska HUN
Referee Observer: Ana Minić SRB

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

18 April 2026

Mamelodi Sundowns – Esperance de Tunis
Referee: Omar Artan SOM (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Liban Abdoulrazack DJI
Assistant Referee 2: Stephen Yiembe KEN
VAR: Mahmoud Ashour EGY
AVAR: Mohammed Ibrahim SDN

RS Berkane – AS FAR
Referee: Pierre Atcho GAB
Assistant Referee 1: Boris Ditsoga GAB

Assistant Referee 2: Amos Abeigne GAB
VAR: Peter Waweru KEN
AVAR: Carine Atezambong CMR

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

17 April 2026
Zamalek – CR Belouizdad
Referee: Mahmoud Ismail SDN (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Khalil Hassani TUN
Assistant Referee 2: Arsenio Marengula MOZ
Fourth Official: Pacific Ndabihawenimana BDI
VAR: Abdalaziz Ahmed SDN
AVAR: Abdulrazk Ahmed LYB
Referee Assessor: Yahya Haddaq MAR

19 April 2026
Olympic Safi – USM Alger
Referee: Samuel Uwikunda RWA
Assistant Referee 1: Gilbert Cheruiyot KEN
Assistant Referee 2: Ivanildo Lopes ANG
Fourth Official: Alhadji Mahamat CHA
VAR: Issa Sy SEN
AVAR: Djibril Camara SEN

AFC Champions League Elite 2025/2026 – Quarter-finals

16 April 2026

Al Sadd – Vissel Kobe
Referee: Omar Al-Ali UAE (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Mohamed Al-Hammadi UAE
Assistant Referee 2: Andrey Tsapenko UZB
Fourth Official: Khalid Al-Turais KSA
Reserve AR: Mohammed Al-Abakry KSA
VAR: Mohammed Obaid UAE
AVAR: Firdavs Norsafarov UZB
Referee Assessor: Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh MAS

17 April 2026
Al Ahli Saudi– Johor Darul Tazim
Referee: Adham Makhadmeh JOR
Assistant Referee 1: Mohammad Al-Kalaf JOR
Assistant Referee 2: George Lakrindis AUS
Fourth Official: Yusuke Araki JPN
Reserve AR: Jun Mihara JPN
VAR: Shaun Evans AUS
AVAR: Muhammad Bin Jahari SIN
Referee Assessor: Vladislav Tseytlin UZB

Machida Zelvia – Al Ittihad
Referee: Ma Ning CHN
Assistant Referee 1: Zhou Fei CHN
Assistant Referee 2: Abu Al-Amri OMA
Fourth Official: Ahmed Al-Kaf OMA
Reserve AR: Mohamed Al-Hammadi UAE
VAR: Kim Woo-Sung KOR
AVAR: Firdavs Norsafarov UZB
Referee Assessor: Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh MAS

18 April 2026
Buriram United – Shabab Al Ahli
Referee: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim QAT
Assistant Referee 1: Taleb Al-Marri QAT
Assistant Referee 2: Ramzan Al-Naemi QAT
Fourth Official Khalid Al-Turais KSA
Reserve AR: Mohammed Al-Abakry KSA
VAR: Muhammad Bin Jahari SIN
AVAR: Fu Ming CHN
Referee Assessor: Vladislav Tseytlin UZB

UEFA Europa Conference League 2025/26 – Quarter-finals (Second Leg)

16 April 2026

AZ Alkmaar – Shakhtar Donetsk
Referee: Sven Jablonski GER (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Eduard Beitinger GER
Assistant Referee 2: Lasse Koslowski GER
Fourth Official: Harm Osmers GER
VAR: Benjamin Brand GER
AVAR: Robert Schröder GER
Referee Observer: Martin Hansson SWE

AC Fiorentina – Crystal Palace
Referee: Jesús Gil Manzano ESP
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: David Malcom NIR

AEK Athens – Rayo Vallecano
Referee: Espen Eskas NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Engan NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Isaak Bashevkin NOR
Fourth Official: Sigurd Kringstad NOR
VAR: Michael Fabbri ITA
AVAR: Gianluca Aureliano ITA
Referee Observer: João Ferreira POR

RC Strasbourg – FSV Mainz
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: André Narciso POR
Referee Observer: Uno Tutk EST

UEFA Europa League 2025/2026 – Quarter-finals (Second Leg)

16 April 2026

Celta de Vigo – SC Freiburg
Referee: Anthony Taylor ENG (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Gary Bewisk ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel Cook ENG
Fourth Official: Robert Jones ENG
VAR: Jarred Gillett ENG
AVAR: Stuart Attwell ENG
Referee Observer: Andreas Schluchter SUI

Real Betis – SC Braga
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: Luca Pairetto ITA
Referee Observer: Lutz-Michael Fröhlich GER

Aston Villa – Bologna FC
Referee: José Sánchez Martinez ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Raúl Cabañero Martinez ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Iñigo Prieto Lopez ESP
Fourth Official: José Munuera Montero ESP
VAR: Carlos Del Cerro Grande ESP
AVAR: César Soto Grado ESP
Referee Observer: Augustus Constantin ROU

Nottingham Forrest – FC Porto
Referee: Danny Makkelie NED
Assistant Referee 1: Hessel Steegstra NED
Assistant Referee 2: Jan de Vries NED
Fourth Official: Allard Lindhout NED
VAR: Ivan Bebek CRO
AVAR: Sören Storks GER
Referee Observer: Nicola Rizzoli ITA

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

14 April 2026
Atletico de Madrid – FC Barcelona
Referee: Clément Turpin FRA (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Danos FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Benjamin Pagès FRA
Fourth Official: Mathieu Vernice FRA
VAR: Jérôme Brisard FRA
AVAR: Willy Delajod FRA
Referee Observer: Peter Sippel GER

Liverpool FC – Paris St. Germain
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: Aleandro Di Paolo ITA
Referee Observer: Bernardino González Vázquez ESP

15 April 2026
Bayern Munchen – Real Madrid
Referee: Slavko Vinčić SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Tomaž Klančnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Andraž Kovačič SVN
Fourth Official: David Šmajc SVN
VAR: Dennis Higler NED
AVAR: Pol van Boekel NED
Referee Observer: Hugh Dallas SCO

Arsenal FC – Sporting CP
Referee: François Letexier FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Cyril Mugnier FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Mehdi Rahmouni FRA
Fourth Official: Stéphanie Frappart FRA
VAR: Bastian Dankert GER
AVAR: Bram Van Driessche BEL
Referee Observer: Gylfi Orrason ISL

Marciniak: "My third World Cup is coming with pain..."

"Various scenarios are possible. Thanks to UEFA and FIFA, I've achieved great success. On the one hand, I feel like I'm still appreciated and needed, but on the other, I still have the inner motivation and goals I'd like to achieve", says Szymon Marciniak in an interview for TVPSPORT.PL.

– I won't ask if you're happy about being nominated for the World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada, because that's rather obvious...

– Of course I'm happy. We're proud. This will be my third World Cup. Not many referees can boast such an achievement. This tournament may be the final chapter in my international career, but... it doesn't have to mean the end. We'll see how it goes.

– Do you mean a transfer to Saudi Arabia or another country?

– There are many possibilities, I have many different offers. I'm not making any decisions right now. I'm trying not to even think about it. I'm focusing on rehabilitation and training to get back to full fitness as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, I'm missing more matches, but the most important thing is my health.

– So are you considering continuing your career in FIFA and UEFA competitions?

- Of course, that's where I'm from; it's thanks to UEFA and FIFA that I've achieved great success. On the one hand, I feel appreciated and needed, and on the other, I still have internal motivation and goals I'd love to achieve."

- Saudi Arabia is offering big money...

- It's not just Saudi Arabia that's making offers... But it's not just about the money. Football is developing rapidly there. This country will host the World Cup in 2034. There will still be time to make the right decision.

- How do you feel after so many successes, so many major tournaments, so many finals, hearing that you're soon going to the USA, Mexico, and Canada for the biggest World Cup in history?

- I'm Polish first and foremost, and a referee second. I'm very sad that the Polish national team won't be playing in this World Cup. In 2018 in Russia and in 2022 in Qatar, I was there and refereed, but we also had a team I supported there. Now, along with Tomek Kwiatkowski, Tomek Listkiewicz, and Adam Kupsik, we won't have anyone to keep our fingers crossed for; we'll only be keeping our fingers crossed for ourselves. The absence of the Polish national team... we'll try to compensate the Polish fans in some way. We'd like to perform in a way that our countrymen can be proud of us. We're hoping for really good matches in America...

- What are your ambitions for this tournament? You seem like the obvious candidate to officiate the opening match. Your appearance in the semi-finals wouldn't be a surprise either. No one has ever refereed a final like this for the second time, but the top referees are very few in number, and on top of that, some have inconsistent form...

- We want to keep our feet on the ground. That's definitely the best thing for referees. I've long since outgrown daydreaming. Of course, we have dreams, like everyone else, because it's healthy and motivating, but we need to focus on work, preparation, and rest. I definitely don't want to be in the media in the coming months. Maybe I'll make an exception, one or two, but generally I plan on media silence to get some serious rest.

– Why do you want to avoid media appearances?

– Before the World Cup, you need to calm down. I need it, I have to, I want it. No sensationalism, no flashy headlines, no programs that might later be criticized in various ways are necessary for any referee, especially before the World Cup. Anyone who has ever refereed understands this perfectly. After what we've achieved so far, after the World Cup final in Qatar, the expectations for us are completely different. But we really know exactly what we have to do.

– How will you be spending your free time before the World Cup?

– Besides relaxing and rehabilitating until the last day before traveling to the World Cup, I'm also planning a few meetings with young people and children. I once promised that I'd return to Józefosław in the Piaseczno commune as soon as the first real football pitch is built there or in neighboring Julianów. I received information that construction is nearing completion, and the goals are supposed to be in place in the coming days, so it's time to keep my word. Later, I'll probably meet with young people for Children's Day, and then... we're off to America.

– What are your goals for this year's World Cup?

– Every match will be the most important. Of course, we'd like to be in America as long as possible. We're hoping for matches with big teams, but I wouldn't be surprised if I were assigned to referee a match or matches with smaller nations, perhaps even debutants.

– Jordan, Panama, Uzbekistan, Curacao, Cape Verde?

– And why not? These national teams will also be playing in the World Cup, they'll also be playing for high stakes, and their matches will also require the best possible officiating. For these teams, the World Cup is not only an opportunity to play against the best in the world, but also the opportunity to work with top FIFA referees. Officiating matches with such teams is no piece of cake. We all know that sometimes it's much more difficult to referee matches against teams not at the top, but on the other hand, there are matches with top teams that are so easy to referee that they could do without international or professional referees. But you never know before the match. That's why, for every referee, the next match is the most important, regardless of who's playing or what's at stake. You can stumble everywhere, and you have to maintain authority and respect everywhere. At the World Cup, every match has a lot at stake. Even if you can't win or advance, it's worth playing until the end, because this is where history is made. The memories from the World Cup will last a long time. I'd also like to have the best possible result after the tournament in America, so I'm working hard to get back to top form. The truth is, my third World Cup is coming with a lot of pain.

Source: TVP Sport

Concacaf Champions Cup 2026 – Quarter-finals (Second Leg)

14 April 2026

Cruz Azul – Los Angeles FC
Referee: Ivan Barton SLV (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: David Moran SLV
Assistant Referee 2: Henri Pupiro NCA
Fourth Official: Ricangel De Leca ARU
VAR: Benjamin Pineda CRC
AVAR: Anthony Bravo CRC

Club America – Nashville SC
Referee: Walter Lopez GUA
Assistant Referee 1: Keytzel Corrales NCA
Assistant Referee 2: Raymundo Feliz DOM
Fourth Official: Cristhofer Corado GUA
VAR: Selvin Brown HON
AVAR: Tatiana Guzman NCA

15 April 2026
Los Angeles Galaxy – Toluca FC
Referee: Mario Escobar GUA
Assistant Referee 1: Luis Ventura GUA
Assistant Referee 2: Humberto Panjoj GUA
Fourth Official: Bryan Lopez GUA
VAR: Diego Ojer GUA
AVAR: Dilia Bradley GUA

Seattle Sounders – Tigres UANL
Referee: Ismael Cornejo HON
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Zumba HON
Assistant Referee 2: Geovany Garcia HON
Fourth Official: Fernando Moron PAN
VAR: Yasith Monge CRC
AVAR: David Gomez CRC

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 Qualifiers – UEFA (Matchday 3)

14 April 2026

England – Spain
Referee: Tess Olofsson SWE (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Almira Spahić SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Tilde Larsson SWE
Fourth Official: Eva Svärdsudd SWE
Referee Observer: Silvia Spinelli ITA 

Sweden – Denmark
Referee: Ivana Martinčić CRO
Assistant Referee 1: Maja Petravić CRO
Assistant Referee 2: Ivona Pejić CRO
Fourth Official: Ivana Projkovska MKD
Referee Observer: Emilia Wnuk POL 

Netherlands – France
Referee: Marta Huerta De Aza ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Guadalupe Porras Ayuso ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Eliana Fernández González ESP
Fourth Official: Elisabeth Calvo Valentín ESP
Referee Observer: Marta Atzori ITA 

Armenia – Belarus
Referee: Sara Telek AUT
Assistant Referee 1: Lara Anderson AUT
Assistant Referee 2: Vanja Vukanović AUT
Fourth Official: Fabienne Hofer AUT
Referee Observer: Esther Staubli SUI

Bulgaria – Kosovo
Referee: Zoe Stavrou CYP
Assistant Referee 1: Maria Christodoulou CYP
Assistant Referee 2: Despina Demosthenous CYP
Fourth Official: Ioanna Allayiotou CYP
Referee Observer: Nelly Viennot FRA

Moldova – Cyprus
Referee: Natálie Čampišová CZE
Assistant Referee 1: Lucie Ratajová CZE
Assistant Referee 2: Tereza Hessova CZE
Fourth Official: Helena Salkova CZE
Referee Observer: Ana Minić SRB 

North Macedonia – Hungary
Referee: Davina Lutz GER
Assistant Referee 1: Daniela Göttlinger GER
Assistant Referee 2: Simone Jakob GER
Fourth Official: Franziska Wildfeuer GER
Referee Observer: Pernilla Larsson SWE

Estonia – Liechtenstein
Referee: Rita Vehapi KOS
Assistant Referee 1: Lumturije Muhadri KOS
Assistant Referee 2: Fitore Govori KOS
Fourth Official: Emanuela Rusta ALB
Referee Observer: Gitte Holm DEN 

Lithuania – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Referee: Audrey Gerbel FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Siham Boudina FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Jennifer Maubacq FRA
Fourth Official: Romy Fournier FRA
Referee Observer: Elke Günther GER 

Czechia – Montenegro
Referee: Tatyana Sorokopudova KAZ
Assistant Referee 1: Nargis Magau KAZ
Assistant Referee 2: Sandra Nigulis EST
Fourth Official: Oxana Cruc MDA
Referee Observer: Ana Aguiar POR

Finland – Slovakia
Referee: Kirsty Dowle ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Emily Carney ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Ceri Williams WAL
Fourth Official: Melissa Burgin ENG
Referee Observer: Sofia Karagiorgi CYP

Norway – Slovenia
Referee: Martina Molinaro ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Laura Gasparini ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Valeria Spizuoco ITA
Fourth Official: Maria Ferrieri Caputi ITA
Referee Observer: Ingrid Jonsson SWE

Poland – Ireland
Referee: Hristiyana Guteva BUL
Assistant Referee 1: Svitlana Grushko UKR
Assistant Referee 2: Pavleta Rashkova BUL
Fourth Official: Lyubima Banova BUL
Referee Observer: Ivana Vlaić BIH 

Faroe Islands – Greece
Referee: Hanna Laajanen SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Camilla Stendahl SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Liisa Liesment EST
Fourth Official: Lovisa Johansson SWE
Referee Observer: Jelena Banjeglav-Rankov SRB

Germany – Austria
Referee: Volha Blotskaya BLR
Assistant Referee 1: Hanna Nalivaika BLR
Assistant Referee 2: Alina Slutskaya BLR
Fourth Official: Valiantsina Sakalovich BLR
Referee Observer: Dagmar Damková CZE

Serbia – Italy
Referee: Eleni Antoniou GRE
Assistant Referee 1: Maria Detsi GRE
Assistant Referee 2: Angeliki Athanasopoullou CYP
Fourth Official: Glykeria Papakonstantinou GRE
Referee Observer: Teodora Albon ROU

Switzerland – Türkiye
Referee: Sofiya Prychyna UKR
Assistant Referee 1: Maryna Striletska UKR
Assistant Referee 2: Oleksandra Vdovina UKR
Fourth Official: Liudmyla Telbukh UKR
Referee Observer: Paloma Quintero Siles ESP

Latvia – Portugal
Referee: Laura Mauricio SUI
Assistant Referee 1: Laetitia Nuara SUI
Assistant Referee 2: Belinda Brem SUI
Fourth Official: Vanessa Mühlheim SUI
Referee Observer: Marta Frías Acedo ESP 

Andorra – Azerbaijan
Referee: Kristina Kozoroh UKR
Assistant Referee 1: Iryna Chaika UKR
Assistant Referee 2: Iryna Holiiak UKR
Fourth Official: Veronika Vasylchenko UKR
Referee Observer: Graziella Pirriatore ITA

Gibraltar – Croatia
Referee: Maria Andrada POR
Assistant Referee 1: Vanessa Gomes POR
Assistant Referee 2: Raquel Pinho POR
Fourth Official: Teresa Oliveira POR
Referee Observer: Carolina De Boeck BEL 

Israel – Luxembourg
Referee: Maria Marotta ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Veronica Martinelli ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Silvia Scipione ITA
Fourth Official: Silvia Gasperotti ITA
Referee Observer: Galina Doneva BUL

Northern Ireland – Malta
Referee: Katarzyna Lisiecka-Sęk POL
Assistant Referee 1: Karolina Zygmond POL
Assistant Referee 2: Aleksandra Mostowska POL
Fourth Official: Michalina Diakow POL
Referee Observer: Regina Konink-Belksma NED

Wales – Albania
Referee: Katalin Sipos HUN
Assistant Referee 1: Noemi Hegedus-Barath HUN
Assistant Referee 2: Laura Szabó HUN
Fourth Official: Fanni Kovács HUN
Referee Observer: Hilda McDermott IRL 

Iceland – Ukraine
Referee: Shona Shukrula NED
Assistant Referee 1: Amina Gutschi AUT
Assistant Referee 2: Isabelle van Gilst NED
Fourth Official: Marisca Overtoom NED
Referee Observer: Blaženka Logarušić CRO 

Scotland – Belgium
Referee: Lotta Vuorio FIN
Assistant Referee 1: Heini Hyvönen FIN
Assistant Referee 2: Laura Koskinen FIN
Fourth Official: Lina Lehtovaara FIN
Referee Observer: Cheryl Foster WAL 

CONMEBOL Sudamericana 2026 – Group Stage (Matchday 2)

14-16 April 2026

Gremio – Deportivo Riestra
Referee: Gery Vargas BOL (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Antelo BOL
Assistant Referee 2: Edwar Saavedra BOL
Fourth Official: Christian Aleman BOL
VAR: Jorge Justiniano BOL
AVAR: Ariel Guizada BOL

Referee Assessor: Roberto Perassi BRA

VAR Supervisor: Oscar Viera PAR

 

Sao Paulo – O’Higgins

Referee: Dario Herrera ARG

Assistant Referee 1: Pablo Gonzalez ARG

Assistant Referee 2: Sebastian Raineri ARG

Fourth Official: Sebastian Zunino ARG

VAR: German Delfino ARG

AVAR: Pablo Dovalo ARG

Referee Assessor: Dionisio Ruiz COL

VAR Supervisor: Marcelo de Leon URU

 

Vasco da Gama – Audax Italiano

Referee: Hernan Heras URU

Assistant Referee 1: Agustin Berisso URU

Assistant Referee 2: Andres Nievas URU

Fourth Official: Alberto Feres URU

VAR: Diego Dunajec URU

AVAR: Richard Trinidad URU

Referee Assessor: Jose Lara ECU

VAR Supervisor: Oswaldo Segura ECU

 

Palestino – Montevideo City Torque

Referee: Derlis Benitez PAR

Assistant Referee 1: Roberto Cañete PAR

Assistant Referee 2: Nadia Weiler PAR

Fourth Official: Javier Revollo BOL

VAR: Ulises Mereles PAR

AVAR: Zulma Quiñonez PAR

Referee Assessor: Ednilson Corona BRA

VAR Supervisor: Jose Carpio ECU

 

Santos – Recoleta

Referee: Fernando Vejar CHI

Assistant Referee 1: Jose Retamal CHI

Assistant Referee 2: Miguel Rocha CHI

Fourth Official: Dilio Rodriguez BOL

VAR: Juan Lara CHI

AVAR: Edson Cisternas CHI

Referee Assessor: Leandro Vuaden BRA

VAR Supervisor: Angel Sanchez ARG

 

Caracas – Independiente

Referee: Bryan Loayza ECU

Assistant Referee 1: David Vacacela ECU

Assistant Referee 2: Juan Aguiar ECU

Fourth Official: Alex Cajas ECU

VAR: Jefferson Macias ECU

AVAR: Dennys Guerrero ECU

Referee Assessor: Luis Sanchez VEN

VAR Supervisor: Wilmar Navarro COL

 

Racing – Botafogo

Referee: Cristian Garay CHI

Assistant Referee 1: Claudio Urrutia CHI

Assistant Referee 2: Alejandro Molina CHI

Fourth Official: Jose Cabero CHI

VAR: Rodrigo Carvajal CHI

AVAR: Juan Serrano CHI

Referee Assessor: Hector Baldassi ARG

VAR Supervisor: Cesar Escano PER

 

Olimpia – Barracas Central 

Referee: Andres Rojas COL

Assistant Referee 1: Richard Ortiz COL

Assistant Referee 2: David Fuentes COL

Fourth Official: Jairo Mayorga COL

VAR: David Rodriguez COL

AVAR: Luis Picon COL

Referee Assessor: Fernando Falce URU

VAR Supervisor: Carlos Pastorino URU

 

River Plate – Carabobo

Referee: Kevin Ortega PER

Assistant Referee 1: Michael Orue PER

Assistant Referee 2: Stephen Atoche PER

Fourth Official: Augusto Aragon ECU

VAR: Carlos Orbe ECU

AVAR: Byron Romero ECU

Referee Assessor: Hernan Maidana ARG

VAR Supervisor: Patricio Polic CHI

 

Millionarios – Boston River 

Referee: Guillermo Guerrero ECU

Assistant Referee 1: Christian Lescano ECU

Assistant Referee 2: Ricardo Baren ECU

Fourth Official: Robert Cabrera ECU

VAR: Gabriel Gonzalez ECU

AVAR: Luis Quiroz ECU

Referee Assessor: Candelario Andarcia VEN

VAR Supervisor: Jonny Bossio PER

 

America de Cali – Alianza Atletico

Referee: Anderson Daronco BRA

Assistant Referee 1: Danilo Manis BRA

Assistant Referee 2: Rafael Alves BRA

Fourth Official: Bruno Arleu BRA

VAR: Pablo Gonçalves BRA

AVAR: Caio Vieira BRA

Referee Assessor: Abraham Gonzalez COL

VAR Supervisor: Claudio Rios CHI

 

Tigre – Macara

Referee: Rafael Klein BRA

Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Pires BRA

Assistant Referee 2: Alex Ang BRA

Fourth Official: Rodrigo Pereira BRA

VAR: Rodolpho Toski BRA

AVAR: Diego Pombo BRA

Referee Assessor: Jorge Antequera BOL

VAR Supervisor: Marcelo de Leon URU

 

Atletico Mineiro – Juventud

Referee: Carlos Ortega COL

Assistant Referee 1: Alexander Guzman COL

Assistant Referee 2: Christian Aguirre COL

Fourth Official: Carlos Betancur COL

VAR: Nicolas Gallo COL

AVAR:  Mauricio Perez COL

Referee Assessor: Sergio Cristiano BRA

VAR Supervisor: Rodney Aquino PAR

 

Red Bull Bragantino – Blooming

Referee: Carlos Benitez PAR

Assistant Referee 1: Milciades Saldivar PAR

Assistant Referee 2: Julio Aranda PAR

Fourth Official: Juan Benitez PAR

VAR: Jose Mendez PAR

AVAR: Eduardo Britos PAR

Referee Assessor: Paulo Conceicao BRA

VAR Supervisor: Christian Schiemann CHI

 

Cienciano – Academia Puerto Cabello

Referee: Ivo Mendez BOL

Assistant Referee 1: Carlos Tapia BOL

Assistant Referee 2: William Medina BOL

Fourth Official: Adriana Farfan BOL

VAR: Wilfredo Campos BOL

AVAR: Alejandra Quisbert BOL

Referee Assessor: Jorge Jaimes PER

VAR Supervisor: Sebastian Restrepo COL

 

San Lorenzo – Deportivo Cuenca

Referee: Yender Herrera VEN

Assistant Referee 1: Tulio Moreno VEN

Assistant Referee 2: Erizon Nieto VEN

Fourth Official: Alejandro Velazquez VEN

VAR: Leonard Mosquera COL

AVAR: John Leon COL

Referee Assessor: Hernan Maidana ARG

VAR Supervisor: Patricio Polic CHI

CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026 – Group Stage (Matchday 2)

14-16 April 2026

Nacional – Deportes Tolima
Referee: Yael Falcon ARG (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Gabriel Chade ARG
Assistant Referee 2: Juan Mamani ARG
Fourth Official: Sebastian Martinez ARG
VAR: Jorge Baliño ARG
AVAR: Lucas Novelli ARG

Referee Assessor: Roberto Silvera URU

VAR Supervisor: Luis Vera ECU

 

Estudiantes La Plata – Cusco

Referee: Jose Cabero CHI

Assistant Referee 1: Claudio Urrutia CHI

Assistant Referee 2: Alejandro Molina CHI

Fourth Official: Cristian Garay CHI

VAR: Rodrigo Carvajal CHI

AVAR: Juan Serrano CHI

Referee Assessor: Sergio Viola ARG

VAR Supervisor : Juan Cardellino URU

 

Cerro Porteno – Junior 

Referee: Esteban Ostojich URU

Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Taran URU

Assistant Referee 2: Carlos Barreiro URU

Fourth Official: Mathias de Armas URU

VAR: Andres Cunha URU

AVAR: Santiago Fernandez URU

Referee Assessor: Manuel Bernal PAR

VAR Supervisor: Pericles Cortez BRA

 

Bolivar – Deportivo La Guaira

Referee: Anthony Diaz ECU

Assistant Referee 1: Edison Vazquez ECU

Assistant Referee 2: Danny Avila ECU

Fourth Official: Oswaldo Contreras ECU

VAR: Roberto Sanchez ECU

AVAR: Mauricio Lozada ECU

Referee Assessor: Pedro Saucedo BOL

VAR Supervisor: Cynthia Franco PAR

 

Boca Juniors – Barcelona 

Referee: Wilmar Roldan COL

Assistant Referee 1: John Leon COL

Assistant Referee 2: John Gallego COL

Fourth Official: Kevin Ortega PER

VAR: Leonard Mosquera COL

AVAR: Michael Orue PER

Referee Assessor: Hector Baldassi ARG

VAR Supervisor: Cesar Escano PER

 

Universitario – Coquimbo Unido

Referee: Ramon Abatti BRA

Assistant Referee 1: Rodrigo Correa BRA

Assistant Referee 2: Victor Imazu BRA

Fourth Official: Matheus Candançam BRA

VAR: Wagner Reway BRA

AVAR: Marco Fazekas BRA

Referee Assessor: Cesar Mongrut PER

VAR Supervisor: Sebastian Restrepo COL

 

LDU Quito – Mirassol

Referee: Roberto Perez PER

Assistant Referee 1: Jesus Sanchez PER

Assistant Referee 2: Jose Castillo PER

Fourth Official: Jordi Espinoza PER

VAR: Joel Alarcon PER

AVAR: Leonar Soto PER

Referee Assessor: Juan Corozo ECU

VAR Supervisor: Victor Martinez PAR

 

Cruzeiro – Universidad Catolica

Referee: Carlos Betancur COL

Assistant Referee 1: Alexander Guzman COL

Assistant Referee 2: Christian Aguirre COL

Fourth Official: Carlos Ortega COL

VAR: Nicolas Gallo COL

AVAR: Mauricio Perez COL

Referee Assessor: Sergio Cristiano BRA

VAR Supervisor: Rodney Aquino PAR

 

Libertad – Rosario Central 

Referee: Raphael Claus BRA

Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Boschilia BRA

Assistant Referee 2: Nailton Oliveira BRA

Fourth Official: Paulo Zanovelli BRA

VAR: Daniel Nobre BRA

AVAR: Rodrigo Nunes BRA

Referee Assessor: Manuel Bernal PAR

VAR Supervisor: Jose Espinel ECU

 

Fluminense – Independiente Rivadavia 

Referee: John Ospina COL

Assistant Referee 1: Miguel Roldan COL

Assistant Referee 2: Mary Blanco COL

Fourth Official: Yerson Zambrano ECU

VAR: Franklin Congo ECU

AVAR: Paula Fernandez COL

Referee Assessor: Italo Medeiros BRA

VAR Supervisor: Oswaldo Segura ECU

 

Corinthians – Santa Fe

Referee: Juan Benitez PAR

Assistant Referee 1: Milciades Saldivar PAR

Assistant Referee 2: Julio Aranda PAR

Fourth Official: Carlos Benitez PAR

VAR: Jose Mendez PAR

AVAR: Eduardo Britos PAR

Referee Assessor: Paulo Conceicao BRA

VAR Supervisor: Christian Schiemann CHI

 

Independiente Del Valle – Universidad Central

Referee: Jordi Espinoza PER

Assistant Referee 1: Jesus Sanchez PER

Assistant Referee 2: Jose Castillo PER

Fourth Official: Roberto Perez PER

VAR: Joel Alarcon PER

AVAR: Leonar Soto PER

Referee Assessor: Juan Corozo ECU

VAR Supervisor: Victor Martinez PAR

 

Palmeiras – Sporting Cristal

Referee: Piero Maza CHI

Assistant Referee 1: Jose Retamal CHI

Assistant Referee 2: Miguel Rocha CHI

Fourth Official: Diego Flores CHI

VAR: Juan Lara CHI

AVAR: Edson Cisternas CHI

Referee Assessor: Leandro Vuaden BRA

VAR Supervisor: Angel Sanchez ARG

 

Lanus – Always Ready

Referee: Alexis Herrera VEN

Assistant Referee 1: Lubin Torrealba VEN

Assistant Referee 2: Alberto Ponte VEN

Fourth Official: Rony Cueva VEN

VAR: Angel Arteaga VEN

AVAR: Reyes Soto VEN

Referee Assessor: Sergio Viola ARG

VAR Supervisor: Juan Cardellino URU

 

Flamengo – Independiente Medellin 

Referee: Andres Matonte URU

Assistant Referee 1: Martin Soppi URU

Assistant Referee 2: Pablo Llarena URU

Fourth Official: Alberto Feres URU

VAR: Antonio Garcia URU

AVAR: Richard Trinidad URU

Referee Assessor: Silvia Regina BRA

VAR Supervisor: Oswaldo Segura ECU

 

Penarol – Platense

Referee: Derlis Lopez PAR

Assistant Referee 1: Eduardo Cardozo PAR

Assistant Referee 2: Luis Onieva PAR

Fourth Official: Blas Romero PAR

VAR: Mario Diaz de Vivar PAR

AVAR: Jose Cuevas PAR

Referee Assessor: Roberto Silvera URU

VAR Supervisor: Luis Vera ECU

FIFA World Cup 2026

Canada, Mexico, USA, 11 June - 19 July 2026

AFC
Referee: Alireza Faghani (AUS, 1978)
Assistant Referee 1: George Lakrindis (AUS, 1985)
Assistant Referee 2: James Lindsay (AUS, 1986)

Referee: Adham Makhadmeh (JOR, 1986)
Assistant Referee 1: Mohammad Al-Kalaf (JOR, 1981)
Assistant Referee 2: Ahmad Al-Roalle (JOR, 1982)

Referee: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (QAT, 1987)
Assistant Referee 1: Taleb Al-Marri (QAT, 1988)
Assistant Referee 2: Saoud Al-Maqaleh (QAT, 1988)

Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev (UZB, 1984)
Assistant Referee 1: Andrey Tsapenko (UZB, 1987)
Assistant Referee 2: Timur Gaynullin (UZB, 1982)

Support Match Officials
Referee: Ma Ning (CHN, 1979)
Assistant Referee: Zhou Fei (CHN, 1986)

Referee: Yusuke Araki (JPN, 1986)
Assistant Referee: Jun Mihara (JPN, 1981)

Referee: Khalid Al-Turais (KSA, 1987)
Assistant Referee: Mohammed Al-Abakry (KSA, 1980)

Referee: Omar Al-Ali (UAE, 1988)
Assistant Referee: Mohamed Al-Hammadi (UAE, 1984)

Video Match Officials
1. Shaun Evans (AUS, 1987)
2. Fu Ming (CHN, 1983)
3. Khamis Al-Marri (QAT, 1984)
4. Abdullah Al-Shehri (KSA, 1992)
5. Mohammed Obaid (UAE, 1984)

CAF
Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal (ALG, 1985)
Assistant Referee 1: Mokrane Gourari (ALG, 1982)
Assistant Referee 2: Abbes Zerhouni (ALG, 1983)

Referee: Amin Omar (EGY, 1985)
Assistant Referee 1: Mahmoud El-Regal (EGY, 1984)
Assistant Referee 2: Ahmed Hossam (EGY, 1983)

Referee: Pierre Atcho (GAB, 1992)
Assistant Referee 1: Boris Ditsoga (GAB, 1985)
Assistant Referee 2: Amos Abeigne (GAB, 1984)

Referee: Dahane Beida (MTN, 1991)
Assistant Referee 1: Jerson Dos Santos (ANG, 1983)
Assistant Referee 2: Elvis Noupue (CMR, 1979)

Referee: Jalal Jayed (MAR, 1987)
Assistant Referee 1: Mostafa Akarkad (MAR, 1989)
Assistant Referee 2: Zakaria Brinsi (MAR, 1983)

Support Match Officials
Referee: Omar Artan (SOM, 1992)

Referee: Abongile Tom (RSA, 1991)
Assistant Referee: Zakhele Siwela (RSA, 1982)

Video Match Officials
1. Mahmoud Ashour (EGY, 1976)
2. Hamza El-Fariq (MAR, 1990)

CONCACAF
Referee: Drew Fischer (CAN, 1980)
Assistant Referee 1: Michael Barwegen (CAN, 1986)
Assistant Referee 2: Lyes Arfa (CAN, 1986)

Referee: Ivan Barton (SLV, 1991)
Assistant Referee 1: David Moran (SLV, 1985)
Assistant Referee 2: Henri Pupiro (NCA, 1988)

Referee: Said Martinez (HON, 1991)
Assistant Referee 1: Walter Lopez (HON, 1978)
Assistant Referee 2: Christian Ramirez (HON, 1988)

Referee: Cesar Ramos (MEX, 1983)
Assistant Referee 1: Alberto Morin (MEX, 1980)
Assistant Referee 2: Marco Bisguerra (MEX, 1988)

Referee: Ismail Elfath (USA, 1982)
Assistant Referee 1: Kyle Atkins (USA, 1986)
Assistant Referee 2: Corey Parker (USA, 1986)

Referee: Tori Penso (USA, 1985)
Assistant Referee 1: Brooke Mayo (USA, 1990)
Assistant Referee 2: Kathryn Nesbitt (USA, 1988)

Support Match Officials
Referee: Juan Calderon (CRC, 1987)
Assistant Referee: Juan Mora (CRC, 1989)

Referee: Oshane Nation (JAM, 1991)
Assistant Referee: Caleb Wales (TRI, 1988)

Referee: Katia Garcia (MEX, 1992)
Assistant Referee: Sandra Ramirez (MEX, 1989)

Video Match Officials
1. Erick Miranda (MEX, 1982)
2. Guillermo Pacheco (MEX, 1995)
3. Tatiana Guzman (NCA, 1985)
4. Joseph Dickerson (USA, 1987)
5. Armando Villarreal (USA, 1986)

CONMEBOL
Referee: Yael Falcon (ARG, 1988)
Assistant Referee 1: Maximiliano Del Yesso (ARG, 1979)
Assistant Referee 2: Facundo Rodriguez (ARG, 1986)

Referee: Facundo Tello (ARG, 1982)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Bellati (ARG, 1979)
Assistant Referee 2: Gabriel Chade (ARG, 1979)

Referee: Ramon Abatti (BRA, 1989)
Assistant Referee 1: Rafael Alves (BRA, 1984)
Assistant Referee 2: Danilo Manis (BRA, 1981)

Referee: Wilton Sampaio (BRA, 1981)
Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Boschilia (BRA, 1983)
Assistant Referee 2: Bruno Pires (BRA, 1985)

Referee: Cristian Garay (CHI, 1989)
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Retamal (CHI, 1981)
Assistant Referee 2: Miguel Rocha (CHI, 1980)

Referee: Juan Benitez (PAR, 1984)
Assistant Referee 1: Eduardo Cardozo (PAR, 1982)
Assistant Referee 2: Milciades Saldivar (PAR, 1983)

Referee: Gustavo Tejera (URU, 1988)
Assistant Referee 1: Carlos Barreiro (URU, 1989)
Assistant Referee 2: Nicolas Taran (URU, 1980)

Referee: Jesus Valenzuela (VEN, 1983)
Assistant Referee 1: Jorge Urrego (VEN, 1981)
Assistant Referee 2: Tulio Moreno (VEN, (1986)

Support Match Officials
Referee: Dario Herrera (ARG, 1985)
Assistant Referee: Cristian Navarro (ARG, 1988)

Referee: Raphael Claus (BRA, 1979)
Assistant Referee: Rodrigo Figueiredo (BRA, 1983)

Referee: Andres Rojas (COL, 1984)
Assistant Referee: Alexander Guzman (COL, 1985)

Referee: Kevin Ortega (PER, 1992)
Assistant Referee: Michael Orue (PER, 1985)

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

OFC
Support Match Officials
Referee: Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh (NZL, 1983)
Assistant Referee: Isaac Trevis (NZL, 1989)

UEFA
Referee: Michael Oliver (ENG, 1985)
Assistant Referee 1: Stuart Burt (ENG, 1980)
Assistant Referee 2: James Mainwaring (ENG, 1982)

Referee: Anthony Taylor (ENG, 1978)
Assistant Referee 1: Gary Beswick (ENG, 1978)
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Nunn (ENG, 1985)

Referee: Francois Letexier (FRA, 1989)
Assistant Referee 1: Cyril Mugnier (FRA, 1983)
Assistant Referee 2: Mehdi Rahmouni (FRA, 1988)

Referee: Clement Turpin (FRA, 1982)
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Danos (FRA, 1980)
Assistant Referee 2: Benjamin Pages (FRA, 1986)

Referee: Felix Zwayer (GER, 1981)
Assistant Referee 1: Robert Kempter (GER, 1988)
Assistant Referee 2: Christian Dietz (GER, 1984)

Referee: Maurizio Mariani (ITA, 1982)
Assistant Referee 1: Daniele Bindoni (ITA, 1980)
Assistant Referee 2: Alberto Tegoni (ITA, 1981)

Referee: Danny Makkelie (NED, 1983)
Assistant Referee 1: Hessel Steegstra (NED, 1978)
Assistant Referee 2: Jan de Vries (NED, 1982)

Referee: Espen Eskas (NOR, 1988)
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Engan (NOR, 1986)
Assistant Referee 2: Isaak Bashevkin (NOR, 1989)

Referee: Szymon Marciniak (POL, 1981)
Assistant Referee 1: Tomasz Listkiewicz (POL, 1978)
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Kupsik (POL, 1982)

Referee: Joao Pinheiro (POR, 1988)
Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Jesus (POR, 1982)
Assistant Referee 2: Luciano Maia (POR, 1988)

Referee: Istvan Kovacs (ROU, 1984)
Assistant Referee 1: Mihai Marica (ROU, 1985)
Assistant Referee 2: Ferencz Tunyogi (ROU, 1986)

Referee: Slavko Vinčić (SVN, 1979)
Assistant Referee 1: Tomaž Klančnik (SVN, 1982)
Assistant Referee 2: Andraž Kovačič (SVN, 1985)

Referee: Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez (ESP, 1982)

Assistant Referee 1: Jose Naranjo Perez (ESP, 1982)

Assistant Referee 2: Diego Sanchez Rojo (ESP, 1992)

Referee: Glenn Nyberg (SWE, 1988)
Assistant Referee 1: Mahbod Beigi (SWE, 1986)
Assistant Referee 2: Andreas Söderkvist (SWE, 1988)

Support Match Officials
Referee: Sandro Schärer (SUI, 1988)
Assistant Referee: Stephane De Almeida (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. Fedayi San (SUI, 1982)

UEFA Europa Conference League 2025/26 – Quarter-finals (First Leg)

9 April 2026

Rayo Vallecano – AEK Athens
Referee: Benoît Bastien FRA (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Hicham Zakrani FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Aurélien Berthomieu FRA
Fourth Official: Jérémie Pignard FRA
VAR: Bram Van Driessche BEL
AVAR: Bastien Dechepy FRA
Referee Observer: László Vagner HUN

FSV Mainz – RC Strasbourg
Referee: Rade Obrenovič SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Jure Praprotnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Grega Kordež SVN
Fourth Official: Martin Matoša SVN
VAR: Matej Jug SVN
AVAR: Alen Borošak SVN
Referee Observer: Michael Argyrou CYP

Crystal Palace – AC Fiorentina
Referee: Donatas Rumšas LTU
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandr Radiuš LTU
Assistant Referee 2: Dovydas Sužiedėlis LTU
Fourth Official: Manfredas Lukjančukas LTU
VAR: Rob Dieperink NED
AVAR: Erwin Blank NED
Referee Observer: Itchko Lozev BUL

Shakhtar Donetsk – AZ Alkmaar
Referee: Nicholas Walsh SCO
Assistant Referee 1: Francis Connor SCO
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel McFarlane SCO
Fourth Official: Donald Robertson SCO
VAR: Stuart Attwell ENG
AVAR: Kevin Clancy SCO 

Referee Observer: Darko Čeferin SVN

UEFA Europa League 2025/2026 – Quarter-finals (First Leg)

8 April 2026

SC Braga – Real Betis
Referee: Felix Zwayer GER (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Robert Kempter GER
Assistant Referee 2: Dominik Schaal GER
Fourth Official: Florian Badstübner GER
VAR: Robert Schröder GER
AVAR: Pascal Müller GER
Referee Observer: Sokol Jareci ALB

9 April 2026
SC Freiburg – Celta de Vigo
Referee: Glenn Nyberg SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Mahbod Beigi SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Andreas Söderkvist SWE
Fourth Official: Adam Ladebäck SWE
VAR: Ivan Bebek CRO
AVAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
Referee Observer: Edward Foley IRL

Bologna FC – Aston Villa
Referee: Sandro Schärer SUI
Assistant Referee 1: Stéphane De Almeida SUI
Assistant Referee 2: Jonas Erni SUI
Fourth Official: Anojen Kanagasingam SUI
VAR: Fedayi San SUI
AVAR: Lukas Fähndrich SUI
Referee Observer: Carlos Velasco Carballo ESP

FC Porto – Nottingham Forrest
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: Michael Fabbri ITA
Referee Observer: Lassin Isaksen FRO

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

7 April 2026

Real Madrid – Bayern München
Referee: Michael Oliver ENG (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Stuart Burt ENG
Assistant Referee 2: James Mainwaring ENG
Fourth Official: Andrew Madley ENG
VAR: Jarred Gillett ENG
AVAR: Marco Di Bello ITA
Referee Observer: Vladimir Šajn SVN

Sporting CP – Arsenal FC
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: Alan Sant MLT

8 April 2026
Paris St. Germain – Liverpool FC
Referee: José Sánchez Martínez ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Raúl Cabañero Martínez ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Iñigo Prieto López ESP
Fourth Official: Juan Martínez Munuera ESP
VAR: Carlos Del Cerro Grande ESP
AVAR: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández ESP
Referee Observer: Roberto Rosetti ITA

FC Barcelona – Atletico de Madrid
Referee: István Kovács ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Mihai Marica ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Ferencz Tunyogi ROU
Fourth Official: Szabolcs Kovacs ROU
VAR: Christian Dingert GER
AVAR: Tiago Martins POR
Referee Observer: Stefano Podeschi SMR

Concacaf Champions Cup 2026 – Quarter-finals (First Leg)

7 April 2026

Nashville SC – Club America
Referee: Oshane Nation JAM (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Caleb Wales TRU
Assistant Referee 2: Ojay Duhaney JAM
Fourth Official: Steffon Dewar JAM
VAR: Daneon Parchment JAM
AVAR: Benjamín Whitty CAY

Los Angeles FC – Cruz Azul
Referee: Keylor Herrera CRC
Assistant Referee 1: Carlos Fernández CRC
Assistant Referee 2: Danny Sojo CRC
Fourth Official: Steven Madrigal CRC
VAR: David Gómez CRC
AVAR: Yasith Monge CRC

8 April 2026
Tigres UANL – Seattle Sounders
Referee: Juan Calderón CRC
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Mora CRC
Assistant Referee 2: William Arrieta CRC
Fourth Official: José Torres PUR
VAR: Jesús Montero CRC
AVAR: Benjamín Pineda CRC

Toluca FC – Los Angeles Galaxy
Referee: Said Martínez HON
Assistant Referee 1: Walter López HON
Assistant Referee 2: Christian Ramírez HON
Fourth Official: Nelson Salgado HON
VAR: Selvin Brown HON
AVAR: Tatiana Guzmán NCA

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

11 April 2026

AS FAR – RS Berkane
Referee: Dahane Beida MTN (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Jerson Dos Santos ANG
Assistant Referee 2: Elvis Noupue CMR
Fourth Official: Abdel-Aziz Bouh MTN
VAR: Haythem Guirat TUN
AVAR: Daniel Laryea GHA

12 April 2026
Esperance de Tunis – Mamelodi Sundowns
Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal ALG
Assistant Referee 1: Mokrane Gourari ALG
Assistant Referee 2: Abbes Zerhouni ALG

Fourth Official: Lotfi Bekouassa ALG

VAR: Lahlou Benbraham ALG

AVAR: Babacar Sarr MTN

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

10 April 2026

CR Belouizdad – Zamalek SC
Referee: Abongile Tom RSA (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Zakhele Siwela RSA
Assistant Referee 2: Souru Phatsoane LES

Fourth Official: Boubou Traore MLI

VAR: Akhona Makalima RSA

AVAR: Diana Chikotesha ZAM

11 April 2026
USM Alger – Olympic Safi
Referee: Amin Omar EGY
Assistant Referee 1: Mahmoud El-Regal EGY
Assistant Referee 2: Ahmed Hossam EGY
Fourth Official: Mohamed Maarouf EGY
VAR: Mahmoud Ashour EGY
AVAR: Hossam Azab EGY

Final seminar for European referees ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026

The final seminar to prepare match officials for the FIFA World Cup 2026 has been held in Italy where 16 elite referees from 15 different European FIFA Member Associations (MAs) were put through their paces. Integrated into FIFA’s strategy to ensure the highest possible standards in the selection process of match officials for the final tournament, Europe’s top referees assembled in Viareggio following the sessions in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in January and Doha, Qatar, in February for their counterparts in other confederations.

“These three seminars are the last part of an intensive programme, the road to the FIFA World Cup 2026, which started, already, at the beginning of 2023, immediately after the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar,” explained Pierluigi Collina, FIFA Chief Refereeing Officer and Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee. “The message we gave all the referees, all the candidates, who were selected for these seminars since the very beginning, was to do everything in their possibilities to not leave any stone unturned, try to do their best to be part of this FIFA World Cup 2026, not regret not having done something that they could have to be part of this selected group of referees. All the candidates were monitored by our instructors, by our fitness coaches, our doctors, physios. They really received important support and now we’re at the conclusion of this journey.”

As well as fitness and medical checks, referees participated in practical and theory sessions with an emphasis on establishing uniformity of decision-making for the 48 teams involved in the upcoming tournament’s 104 matches. “It’s like a player who is playing for his club and then he’s going to the national team, and the coach says, ‘In your club, you play like this. With me, you have to play like that’. And we believe a lot in our philosophy in FIFA, and we want the referees to understand this philosophy,” said Director of FIFA Refereeing Massimo Busacca. “We want to arrive at the FIFA World Cup and see, let’s say, all the decisions be almost the same ones taken in every game, and not that one referee in one game makes a personal interpretation. We need real uniformity.” He added: “The way we are doing seminars, and the reason we are doing seminars, is like the preparation of a national team. It’s not easy, but for that reason we work very hard. But we are very happy in the end about what we have done.”

Dutch referee and seminar participant Danny Makkelie added: “The key aspects of this preparation, of course, are uniformity – that we are all on the same page – that the FIFA concept has to be clear, especially in the grey areas, that we all decide on the same decision – that’s very important. And also, we discussed different topics, so theoretical, practical but also physical. And then, we are in the best conditions when we arrive at the FIFA World Cup.” Makkelie, who officiated at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, hopes he will make the final list for the tournament in North America when it is drawn up later this month. “When I was a child, as a young referee, it was my dream to be at the FIFA World Cup,” he explained. “This is the highest level you can reach as a referee, so I’m very proud to be here [at] the seminar. And I look forward so much to being in America and part of all the referees, the best referees [at] the best tournament in the world. So, this is my dream and I [am] going for it.”

Source: FIFA

UEFA Youth League 2025/2026 – Semi-finals

17 April 2026

SL Benfica – Club Brugge
Referee: Joey Kooij NED (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Dyon Fikkert NED
Assistant Referee 2: Murat Kücükerbir NED
Fourth Official: Anojen Kanagasingam SUI
VAR: Jeroen Manschot NED
AVAR: Erwin Blank NED
Referee Observer: Markus Nobs SUI

Real Madrid – Paris St. Germain
Referee: Samuel Barrott ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Neil Davies ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Wade Smith ENG
Fourth Official: Luca Cibelli SUI
VAR: Michael Salisbury ENG
AVAR: Darren England ENG
Referee Observer: Björn Kuipers NED

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 referee selection process continues with Rio de Janeiro seminar

As a competitive qualifying campaign starts to heat up across the globe, the selection process and training for the 33rd team at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 has already begun. While hosts Brazil and 31 additional qualifiers compete next year for the most coveted trophy in the game, that elite 33rd team – the match officials – will be working hard to ensure that the eagerly anticipated tournament is refereed at the very highest level.

Towards the end of March, FIFA took an important step in identifying and preparing the Women’s World Cup officiating team in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where 24 accomplished referees hailing from Concacaf and CONMEBOL countries gathered for a rigorous, multi-day theoretical and technical seminar. At the helm was FIFA’s Head of Women's Refereeing, Bibiana Steinhaus-Webb. “This event is one out of three FIFA women’s elite referee seminars in 2026 that we are holding all around the world, to not only recognise and scout our talents, but also develop them, and select the (FIFA) World Cup referees,” explained Ms Steinhaus-Webb, the renowned German referee who officiated the memorable FIFA Women's World Cup 2011 final between Japan and the United States in Frankfurt, Germany.

“During these three events in 2026, we are seeing 53 officials from all over the world, from 38 Member Associations that are part of our road to Brazil,” she continued. “So, we are following those 53 officials closely to not only identify their performance today, but also their development and their potential to be at their peak condition in 2027 when it matters.” The pressure and prestige of a World Cup is as high for match officials as it is for players and coaches. It is the pinnacle. “It’s a dream,” said seminar attendee Katja Koroleva, the Soviet-born American referee. So the training and demands are rigorous, and to thrive in the rarified air of a World Cup, referees must be as fit and finely tuned as the players. The seminar helps establish the standard. The 24 referees in Rio spent significant time both in the classroom and on the pitch, where they took part in physical and technical training.

“The key aspects in the referees that we are looking for is, of course, their decision making, the preciseness and consistency in their decisions. To make the best decisions, you need to be in the best position to judge the incident,” said Ms Steinhaus-Webb, who worked at nine FIFA competitions overall and became the first woman to referee a men’s Bundesliga match in 2017. “So, fitness comes into play, endurance, speed, agility – all the things we are looking into to build the strengths, your physical components, where the medical team, the physio team, takes care of and looks after,” she added. “We are working closely with the referees to understand different cultures and different styles of football to be able to anticipate play on the field. We are working, as well, with technology to make sure that VAR processes, decision processes are totally understood and applicable for all the referees in all the different incidents.”

The level of detail and intensity left an impression on the referees, as did the environment and commitment to camaraderie. There was a World Cup feel in the Rio air, even though kick-off is 15 months away. “No better place to train, to feel the environment, the atmosphere amongst my colleagues from Concacaf and CONMEBOL, to be on the same page,” said Koroleva, who has officiated at multiple FIFA events, including the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023. That methodology, Koroleva said, is anchored by the mental and physical preparation required to referee a “fast game” played by “elite athletes”. Theoretical discussions focused on decision consistency, learning team tactics and how different countries approach the game, as well as the “mental glue” necessary to handle the World Cup match-day energy and atmosphere.

“The seminar is a great opportunity to be here with FIFA, especially in an iconic place for football like Brazil. But it’s (also) a great opportunity to showcase our skills, work with other referees, and to be selected amongst the best in FIFA and Concacaf and CONMEBOL,” said Carly Shaw-MacLaren, a Canadian who refereed at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Dominican Republic 2024. “It’s a very physically intensive week,” she continued. “And then, obviously, match performance is very important while we’re here, and then also technical sessions. So, we’re learning a lot in education sessions on new trends in football, and specific topics.”

Venezuela’s Emikar Calderas, who worked matches at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica 2022 and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, said it was a “huge honour and feeling of responsibility” to participate in the seminar. “It represents an important step in my career as a referee. It’s also because I’m here with high-level instructors in order to improve my knowledge, spend time with different referees and reach my peak as a referee,” Calderas said. She echoed similar comments made by her colleagues when she said, “It would be a dream come true to represent my country in this high-level tournament and show all of my sacrifice, dedication and discipline.”

The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 will be an unprecedented showcase for the women’s game and a testament to its exponential growth. It will also represent the tournament’s first staging in Latin America, a passionate football hotspot ready to embrace the excitement. Brazil will be the perfect backdrop, and while players around the world long to perform on that stage, so do match officials. “Every day we work hard, and I am motivated to be better than yesterday, to do something more, and to prepare, just like the athletes, to be a part of this memorable event that will, without a doubt, be historical here in Brazil,” Koroleva said. “I want to be a part of that show, to create this atmosphere for the world, for history.”

Source: FIFA