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

24 February 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CONMEBOL Recopa 2026 (Second Leg)

26 February 2026

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

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

24 February 2026

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

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

25 February 2026
Philadelphia Union – Defence Force

FC Cincinnati – O&M FC

Vancouver Whitecaps – CS Cartagines

26 February 2026
Los Angeles Galaxy – Sporting San Miguelito

CONMEBOL U-20 Libertadores 2026

Ecuador, 7-22 March 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026 – Second Round (Second Leg)

24-26 February 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CONMEBOL U-20 Women’s Championship 2026

Paraguay, 16-28 February 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

UEFA key refereeing priorities

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

Protecting the players: 'Our absolute priority'

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

VAR: Only for clear and obvious errors

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

Exaggeration: A growing and difficult problem

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

Captain–referee cooperation: Respect, clarity, and communication

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

Handball clarity: Intentional and unintentional actions

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

New UEFA Referee Awards

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

A growing refereeing community

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

Source: UEFA

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

19 February 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

19 February 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Referee Observer: Nicola Rizzoli ITA  

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

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

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

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

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

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