UEFA Women’s Euro 2025

The UEFA Referees Committee has appointed 12 referees, as well as the assistant referees, video match officials and support match officials, who will take charge of the 31 matches at UEFA Women's EURO 2025, which will take place in Switzerland from 2 to 27 July 2025. In addition, as part of the ongoing co-operation between UEFA and the South American Football Confederation CONMEBOL, a referee from Brazil, Edina Alves, together with two assistants, will join the European group of referees for the final tournament. Refereeing teams at each match will consist of a referee, two assistant referees, and a fourth official. A team of two video match officials will be active at each game and operate throughout the tournament from UEFA's headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. The preparation of the officials for UEFA Women's EURO 2025 will include a course for all match officials, which will take place at UEFA shortly ahead of the tournament. UEFA's managing director for refereeing, Roberto Rosetti, said: "As we prepare for UEFA Women's EURO 2025 in Switzerland, we are extremely pleased to see the continuous growth of our top female referees, reflecting the remarkable development of women's football as a whole. As always for a EURO, the best and most consistent referees have been selected. Notably, all of them have passed the same fitness test we conduct for the elite men's referees. We have full confidence in them and their assistants, as well as the video officials, to show their quality at the final tournament". (Source: UEFA)

Referees

1. Ivana Martinčić (CRO, 1985, photo)

2. Frida Klarlund (DEN, 1989)

3. Stephanie Frappart (FRA, 1983)

4. Katalin Kulcsar (HUN, 1984)

5. Maria Ferrieri Caputi (ITA, 1990)

6. Silvia Gasperotti (ITA, 1993)

7. Catarina Campos (POR, 1985)

8. Iuliana Demetrescu (ROU, 1990)

9. Alina Peşu (ROU, 1989)

10. Marta Huerta de Aza (ESP, 1990)

11. Tess Olofsson (SWE, 1988)

12. Désirée Grundbacher (SUI, 1983)

Assistant Referees

1. Ainhoa Fernandez AND

2. Amina Gutschi AUT

3. Sanja Rodjak-Karšić CRO

4. Fie Bruun DEN

5. Emily Carney ENG

6. Heini Hyvönen FIN

7. Camille Soriano FRA

8. Anita Vad HUN

9. Francesca Di Monte ITA

10. Irina Pozdejeva LTU

11. Franca Overtoom NED

12. Monica Lokkeberg NOR

13. Paulina Baranowska POL

14. Andreia Sousa POR

15. Vanessa Gomes POR

16. Daniela Constantinescu ROU

17. Mihaela Țepușă ROU

18. Eliana Fernandez Gonzalez ESP

19. Guadalupe Porras Ayuso ESP

20. Staša Špur SVN

21. Almira Spahić SWE

22. Susanne Küng SUI

23. Linda Schmid SUI

24. Svitlana Grushko UKR

CONMEBOL Referee Exchange

Referee: Edina Alves (BRA, 1980)

Assistant Referee 1: Neuza Back BRA

Assistant Referee 2: Fabrini Bevilaqua BRA

Support Referees

1. Hristiana Guteva (BUL, 1990)

2. Shona Shukrula (NED, 1991)

3. Olatz Rivera Olmedo (ESP, 1996)

Video Match Officials

1. Jarred Gillett ENG

2. Sian Massey-Ellis ENG

3. Willy Delajod FRA

4. Christian Dingert GER

5. Katrin Rafalski GER

6. Tamas Bognar HUN

7. Aleandro Di Paolo ITA

8. Dennis Higler NED

9. Tiago Martins POR

10. Cătălin Popa ROU

11. Momčilo Marković SRB

12. Jelena Cvetković SRB

13. Alen Borošak SVN

14. Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez ESP

15. Judit Romano Garcia ESP

16. Fedayi San SUI

Father and son share special bond at OFC Elite Refereeing Seminar

Refereeing in football is often a solitary journey, but for Neeshil and Rakesh Varman, it has been a shared passion spanning decades. The father-son duo from Fiji attended the OFC/FIFA Elite Refereeing Seminar in Honiara, Solomon Islands, where they reflected on their unique journey in the sport.

For Neeshil, an OFC badge referee, this seminar was a milestone. “This seminar is quite a breakthrough for all of us elite referees. It’s been a long time since all the top referees from OFC, both male and female, have been brought together. This is my first time attending, thanks to Fiji Football Association and OFC,” Neeshil said. “I want to thank the OFC department for bringing us together. This experience has given us a deeper understanding of the expectations in modern football and what we need to work on to elevate our refereeing standards,” he added. His journey began when he was a teenager in year 8 at school, when he first stepped onto the pitch as a referee under the guidance of his father, Rakesh. A former FIFA referee, and now a FIFA Referee Instructor, Rakesh has been both mentor and coach to Neeshil throughout his career. “I wanted to play football, but my father said, ‘You can play, but also come and try refereeing.’ So, I started going to matches with him. Sometimes, I officiated games, and eventually, I became his assistant. When he retired in 2016, he took on the role of my assessor,” Neeshil recalled. Now, their roles have evolved. Rakesh is the Referee Development Officer (RDO) for the Cook Islands, while Neeshil is an elite referee in Fiji. Despite the distance, their bond remains strong, with constant communication over WhatsApp. “He always assesses and coaches me, helping me improve and navigate challenges. It’s never easy, but that’s how we grow as referees,” Neeshil said. 

Refereeing is no easy task, and Rakesh acknowledges the difficulties that come with the job. “We want referees to be as close to error-free as possible. When mistakes happen, we correct them immediately, whether on the field, at home, or during training sessions,” Rakesh explained. “A referee needs to have thick skin. People will always criticise decisions, but that’s part of the game.” For Neeshil, family support has been crucial. “My mum, my wife, my kids, and my friends always support me. They come to watch the games, even when the decisions we make aren’t popular. That’s the reality of football,” he said. Despite the pressures, Rakesh takes pride in his son’s progress. “I started as a FIFA referee, then became an RDO, and now I’m a FIFA instructor. It’s not an easy path; you have to keep learning, adapting to new technologies, modern refereeing concepts, and standards. But I love it, and I’m proud of Neeshil for carrying on the legacy,” Rakesh said. For him, the challenge extends beyond the football pitch. As a medical professional, balancing work, family, and refereeing is demanding. “Being a doctor, being on call for 12-hour shifts, and still making time for training and refereeing is tough. Refereeing is not just about officiating matches; it requires fitness, knowledge, and continuous learning,” he said. Despite the challenges, his goal remains clear: to become a FIFA referee. “I am grateful to Fiji Football and the referees’ committee for supporting my journey. I also thank OFC and its instructors for this invaluable seminar. Now, I know what I need to do to reach the next level,” Neeshil said. As Rakesh and Neeshil continue their refereeing journeys, their story stands as an inspiring testament to dedication, mentorship, and the enduring bond of family in football.

Source: OFC

UEFA Youth League 2024/2025 – Quarter-finals

1 April 2025

FC Salzburg – Olympiacos
Referee: Andrea Colombo ITA (photo)

Assistant Referee 1: Marco Ceccon ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Khaled Bahri ITA
Fourth Official: Arnes Talic AUT
Referee Observer: Konrad Plautz AUT

Trabzonspor – Inter Milano
Referee: Alessandro Dudic SUI
Assistant Referee 1: Pascal Hirzel SUI
Assistant Referee 2: Nicolas Müller SUI
Fourth Official: Irfan Baş TUR
Referee Observer: Bariş Şimşek TUR

2 April 2025
VfB Stuttgart – FC Barcelona
Referee: Vasilios Fotias GRE
Assistant Referee 1: Andreas Meintanas GRE
Assistant Referee 2: Vasileios Nikolakakis GRE
Fourth Official: Felix Prigan GER
Referee Observer: Alain Hamer LUX

AZ Alkmaar – Manchester City
Referee: Ivana Martinčić CRO
Assistant Referee 1: Guadalupe Porras Ayuso ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Susann Küng SUI
Fourth Official: Wouter Wiersma NED
Referee Observer: Marinus Koopman NED

English referees rewarded financially

Refereeing in the Premier League is not only a demanding job on the pitch but also a highly rewarding one financially. According to the British newspaper The Times, the most experienced referees can earn an annual salary of £250,000 (€300,000), making them some of the best-paid officials in world football.

Referees' earnings in England largely depend on their experience and seniority. According to the report, the average salary for a referee in the English league ranges between £170,000 and £180,000 per year, while those with less experience earn between £72,000 and £148,000. Well-known referees such as Anthony Taylor and Michael Oliver are among the highest-paid, earning up to £250,000 annually. Meanwhile, junior referees receive around £125,000 per year, which is still a significantly high amount compared to other leagues. In addition to their base salary, referees receive various financial incentives. They earn bonuses based on the number of matches officiated and their performance on the field, allowing them to substantially increase their earnings. Furthermore, those selected to officiate in competitions such as the Champions League or FIFA tournaments receive additional payments for their international participation. However, since 2023, English referees have been prohibited from officiating matches in other domestic leagues, such as the UAE Pro League or the Saudi Pro League, due to potential conflicts of interest. This measure has eliminated an additional source of income that some referees had previously taken advantage of. Although referees in England earn high salaries, in Spain, for example, the average annual salary of a referee is €265,000, excluding additional earnings from international matches. This figure highlights that refereeing in Europe's top leagues is not only a position of high responsibility but also a financially lucrative profession.

Source: BeInSports

CONMEBOL Women’s Futsal Copa America Final 2025: Montalvo (COL) & Martinez (PAR)

30 March 2025

Final
Brazil – Argentina
Referee 1: Yendis Montalvo (COL, photo)
Referee 2: Fany Martinez (PAR)
Referee Assessor: Nestor Valiente (PAR)

Match for Third Place
Colombia – Paraguay
Referee 1: Estefania Pinto (ARG)
Referee 2: Anelize Schultz (BRA)
Referee Assessor: Cesar Figueredo (URU)

CONMEBOL Libertadores 2025 – Group Stage (Matchday 1)

1-3 April 2025

Carabobo – Estudiantes
Referee: John Ospina COL (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Sebastian Vela COL
Assistant Referee 2: John Gallego COL
Fourth Official: Carlos Ortega COL
VAR: Nicolas Gallo COL
AVAR: Mary Blanco COL
Referee Assessor: Luis Sanchez VEN
VAR Supervisor: Wilson Avila ECU

Cerro Porteno – Bolivar
Referee: Alexis Herrera VEN
Assistant Referee 1: Lubin Torrealba VEN
Assistant Referee 2: Alberto Ponte VEN
Fourth Official: Alejandro Velasquez VEN
VAR: Juan Soto VEN
AVAR: Jorge Urrego VEN
Referee Assessor: Juan Zorrilla PAR
VAR Supervisor: Carlos Pastorino URU

Atletico Bucaramanga – Colo Colo
Referee: Carlos Benitez PAR
Assistant Referee 1: Roberto Cañete PAR
Assistant Referee 2: Nadia Weiler PAR
Fourth Official: Derlis Benitez PAR
VAR: Mario Diaz de Vivar PAR
AVAR: Jose Cuevas PAR
Referee Assessor: Wilmar Navarro COL
VAR Supervisor: Oswaldo Segura ECU

Fortaleza – Racing
Referee: Juan Benitez PAR
Assistant Referee 1: Eduardo Cardozo PAR
Assistant Referee 2: Luis Onieva PAR
Fourth Official: Blas Romero PAR
VAR: Ulises Mereles PAR
AVAR: Eduardo Britos PAR
Referee Assessor: Roberto Perassi BRA
VAR Supervisor: Claudio Rios CHI

Barcelona – Independiente Del Valle
Referee: Wilton Sampaio BRA
Assistant Referee 1: Rafael Alves BRA
Assistant Referee 2: Neuza Back BRA
Fourth Official: Rafael Klein BRA
VAR: Daniel Nobre BRA
AVAR: Charly Straud BRA
Referee Assessor: Juan Corozo ECU
VAR Supervisor: Hilton Moutinho BRA

Alianza Lima – Libertad
Referee: Wilmar Roldan COL
Assistant Referee 1: Alexander Guzman COL
Assistant Referee 2: John Leon COL
Fourth Official: Jose Ortiz COL
VAR: Leonard Mosquera COL
AVAR: Jenny Arias COL
Referee Assessor: Jorge Jaimes PER
VAR Supervisor: Pericles Cortes BRA

Velez Sarsfield – Penarol
Referee: Raphael Claus BRA
Assistant Referee 1: Rodrigo Correa BRA
Assistant Referee 2: Guilherme Camilo BRA
Fourth Official: Bruno Arleu BRA
VAR: Rodolpho Toski BRA
AVAR: Rodrigo Nunes BRA
Referee Assessor: Sergio Viola ARG
VAR Supervisor: Patricio Polic CHI

San Antonio – Olimpia
Referee: Kevin Ortega PER
Assistant Referee 1: Stephen Atoche PER
Assistant Referee 2: Enrique Pinto PER
Fourth Official: Michael Espinoza PER
VAR: Joel Alarcon PER
AVAR: Coty Carrera PER
Referee Assessor: Oscar Maldonado BOL
VAR Supervisor: Marcio Santiago BRA

Universitario – River Plate
Referee: Gustavo Tejera URU
Assistant Referee 1: Carlos Barreiro URU
Assistant Referee 2: Andres Nievas URU
Fourth Official: Javier Feres URU
VAR: Christian Ferreyra URU
AVAR: Richard Trinidad URU
Referee Assessor: Henry Gambetta PER
VAR Supervisor: Pericles Cortes BRA

Talleres – Sao Paulo
Referee: Felipe Gonzalez CHI
Assistant Referee 1: Claudio Urrutia CHI
Assistant Referee 2: Leslie Vasquez CHI
Fourth Official: Dione Rissios CHI
VAR: Benjamin Saravia CHI
AVAR: Miguel Araos CHI
Referee Assessor: Sabrina Lois ARG
VAR Supervisor: Victor Carrillo PER

Universidad de Chile – Botafogo
Referee: Esteban Ostojich URU
Assistant Referee 1: Martin Soppi URU
Assistant Referee 2: Agustin Berisso URU
Fourth Official: Jose Burgos URU
VAR: Antonio Garcia URU
AVAR: Diego Dunajec URU
Referee Assessor: Carlos Ulloa CHI
VAR Supervisor: Ricardo Casas ARG

Atletico Nacional – Nacional
Referee: Yael Falcon ARG
Assistant Referee 1: Cristian Navarro ARG
Assistant Referee 2: Daiana Milone ARG
Fourth Official: Carlos Gariano ARG
VAR: Jorge Baliño ARG
AVAR: Salome Di Iorio ARG
Referee Assessor: Abraham Gonzalez COL
VAR Supervisor: Ednilson Corona BRA

Central Cordoba – LDU Quito
Referee: Leodan Gonzalez URU
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Taran URU
Assistant Referee 2: Hector Bergalo URU
Fourth Official: Andres Matonte URU
VAR: Andres Cunha URU
AVAR: Santiago Fernandez URU
Referee Assessor: Hector Baldassi ARG
VAR Supervisor: Julio Bascunan CHI

Bahia – Internacional
Referee: Piero Maza CHI
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Serrano CHI
Assistant Referee 2: Alejandro Molina CHI
Fourth Official: Jose Cabero CHI
VAR: Rodrigo Carvajal CHI
AVAR: Edson Cisternas CHI
Referee Assessor: Paulo Conceicao BRA
VAR Supervisor: Wilson Lamouroux COL

Sporting Cristal – Palmeiras
Referee: Dario Herrera ARG
Assistant Referee 1: Gabriel Chade ARG
Assistant Referee 2: Facundo Rodriguez ARG
Fourth Official: Sebastian Zunino ARG
VAR: Hector Paletta ARG
AVAR: Laura Fortunato ARG
Referee Assessor: Ana Perez PER
VAR Supervisor: Juan Cardellino URU

Deportivo Tachira – Flamengo
Referee: Gery Vargas BOL
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Antelo BOL
Assistant Referee 2: Edwar Saavedra BOL
Fourth Official: Javier Revollo BOL
VAR: Wilfredo Campos BOL
AVAR: Juan Nelio Garcia BOL
Referee Assessor: Luis Sanchez VEN
VAR Supervisor: Rodney Aquino PAR

CONMEBOL Sudamericana 2025 – Group Stage (Matchday 1)

1-3 April 2025

Nacional Potosi – Independiente
Referee: Edina Alves BRA (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Pires BRA
Assistant Referee 2: Fabrini Bevilaqua BRA
Fourth Official: Rodrigo Pereira BRA
VAR: Daiane Muniz BRA
AVAR: Diego Pombo BRA
Referee Assessor: Pedro Saucedo BOL
VAR Supervisor: Jorge Mercado PAR

Boston River – Guarani
Referee: Augusto Menendez PER
Assistant Referee 1: Michael Orue PER
Assistant Referee 2: Jesus Sanchez PER
Fourth Official: Roberto Perez PER
VAR: Milagros Arruela PER
AVAR: Edwin Ordoñez PER
Referee Assessor: Fernando Falce URU
VAR Supervisor: Emerson de Carvalho BRA

Union Santa Fe – Cruzeiro
Referee: Andres Matonte URU
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Taran URU
Assistant Referee 2: Hector Bergalo URU
Fourth Official: Leodan Gonzalez URU
VAR: Andres Cunha URU
AVAR: Santiago Fernandez URU
Referee Assessor: Hector Baldassi ARG
VAR Supervisor: Julio Bascunan CHI

Deportes Iquique – Caracas
Referee: Augusto Aragon ECU
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Lescano ECU
Assistant Referee 2: Dennys Guerrero ECU
Fourth Official: Juan Andrade ECU
VAR: Franklin Congo ECU
AVAR: Gabriel Gonzalez ECU
Referee Assessor: Christian Schiemann CHI
VAR Supervisor: Victor Martinez PAR

Once Caldas – Fluminense
Referee: Maximiliano Ramirez ARG
Assistant Referee 1: Maximiliano Del Yesso ARG
Assistant Referee 2: Jose Savorani ARG
Fourth Official: Nazareno Arasa ARG
VAR: Nicolas Lamolina ARG
AVAR: Hernan Mastrangelo ARG
Referee Assessor: Juan Restrepo COL
VAR Supervisor: Roberto Silvera URU

Cienciano – Atletico Mineiro
Referee: Leandro Rey ARG
Assistant Referee 1: Gabriel Chade ARG
Assistant Referee 2: Facundo Rodriguez ARG
Fourth Official: Sebastian Zunino ARG
VAR: Hector Paletta ARG
AVAR: Laura Fortunato ARG
Referee Assessor: Ana Perez PER
VAR Supervisor: Juan Lugones BOL

Corinthians – Huracan
Referee: Cristian Garay CHI
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Retamal CHI
Assistant Referee 2: Miguel Rocha CHI
Fourth Official: Fernando Vejar CHI
VAR: Juan Lara CHI
AVAR: Mathias Riquelme CHI
Referee Assessor: Marcelo Rogerio BRA
VAR Supervisor: Cesar Escano PER

Melgar – Vasco da Gama
Referee: Derlis Lopez PAR
Assistant Referee 1: Milciades Saldivar PAR
Assistant Referee 2: Nancy Fernandez PAR
Fourth Official: Jose Mendez PAR
VAR: Zulma Quiñonez PAR
AVAR: Jose Villagra PAR
Referee Assessor: Cesar Mongrut PER
VAR Supervisor: Barbra Bastias CHI

Vitoria – Universidad Catolica
Referee: Jose Cabero CHI
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Serrano CHI
Assistant Referee 2: Alejandro Molina CHI
Fourth Official: Piero Maza CHI
VAR: Rodrigo Carvajal CHI
AVAR: Edson Cisternas CHI
Referee Assessor: Cleidy Riveiro BRA
VAR Supervisor: Wilson Lamouroux COL

Racing – America de Cali
Referee: Roberto Perez PER
Assistant Referee 1: Michael Orue PER
Assistant Referee 2: Jesus Sanchez PER
Fourth Official: Augusto Menendez PER
VAR: Milagros Arruela PER
AVAR: Edwin Ordoñez PER
Referee Assessor: Miguel Nievas URU
VAR Supervisor: Emerson de Carvalho BRA

Sportivo Luqueno – Gremio
Referee: Francisco Gilabert CHI
Assistant Referee 1: Alan Sandoval CHI
Assistant Referee 2: Carlos Poblete CHI
Fourth Official: Alejandro Velasquez VEN
VAR: Juan Soto VEN
AVAR: Jorge Urrego VEN
Referee Assessor: Joel Ruiz PAR
VAR Supervisor: Carlos Pastorino URU

Atletico Grau – Godoy Cruz
Referee: Guillermo Guerrero ECU
Assistant Referee 1: Edson Vasquez ECU
Assistant Referee 2: David Vacacela ECU
Fourth Official: Robert Cabrera ECU
VAR: Jefferson Macias ECU
AVAR: Susana Corella ECU
Referee Assessor: Silvia Reyes PER
VAR Supervisor: Juan Cardellino URU

Academia Puerto Cabello – Lanus
Referee: Carlos Ortega COL
Assistant Referee 1: Sebastian Vela COL
Assistant Referee 2: John Gallego COL
Fourth Official: John Ospina COL
VAR: Nicolas Gallo COL
AVAR: Mary Blanco COL
Referee Assessor: Marlon Escalante VEN
VAR Supervisor: Wilson Avila ECU

GV San Jose – Union Espanola
Referee: Bryan Loyaza ECU
Assistant Referee 1: Ricardo Baren ECU
Assistant Referee 2: Juan Aguiar ECU
Fourth Official: Alex Cajas ECU
VAR: Carlos Orbe ECU
AVAR: Roddy Zambrano ECU
Referee Assessor: Pedro Saucedo BOL
VAR Supervisor: Jorge Mercado PAR

Cerro Largo – Defensa y Justicia
Referee: Ivo Mendez BOL
Assistant Referee 1: Carlos Tapia BOL
Assistant Referee 2: Ruben Flores BOL
Fourth Official: Christian Aleman BOL
VAR: Jorge Justiniano BOL
AVAR: Ariel Guizada BOL
Referee Assessor: Marcelo de Leon URU
VAR Supervisor: Emerson de Carvalho BRA

Mushuc Runa – Palestino
Referee: Yender Herrera VEN
Assistant Referee 1: Tulio Moreno VEN
Assistant Referee 2: Antoni Garcia VEN
Fourth Official: Emikar Calderas VEN
VAR: Yorman Delgado VEN
AVAR: Angel Arteaga VEN
Referee Assessor: Jose Lara ECU
VAR Supervisor: Oscar Viera PAR

CONMEBOL Women’s Futsal Copa America 2025

Brazil, 22-30 March 2025

Referees
1. Aldana Arrieta (ARG)
2. Estefania Pinto (ARG, photo)
3. Lorena Sanchez (ARG)
4. Edit Labrandero (BOL)
5. Marta Quispe (BOL)
6. Juliana Angelo (BRA)
7. Anelize Schultz (BRA)
8. Lady Munoz (CHI)
9. Valeria Palma (CHI)
10. Naudy Gimenez (COL)
11. Nataly Giraldo (COL)
12. Yendis Montalvo (COL)
13. Jennifer Munoz (ECU)
14. Gema Villavicencio (ECU)
15. Maria Caceres (PAR)
16. Fany Martinez (PAR)
17. Astrid Mendoza (PAR)
18. Mercedes Guzman (PER)
19. Johanna Vega (PER)
20. Paula Lopez (URU)
21. Tayana Moreno (VEN)
22. Oriana Zambrano (VEN)

Referee Assessors
1. Leandro Lorenzo (ARG)
2. Renata Leite (BRA)
3. Nestor Valiente (PAR)
4. Cesar Figueredo (URU)

FIFA World Cup 2026 – Candidate Referees Seminar (UEFA)

Zürich (Switzerland), 31 March - 3 April 2025

Referees

1. Irfan Peljto (BIH, 1984, photo)
2. Michael Oliver (ENG, 1985)
3. Anthony Taylor (ENG, 1978)
4. Francois Letexier (FRA, 1989)
5. Clement Turpin (FRA, 1982)
6. Daniel Siebert (GER, 1984)
7. Felix Zwayer (GER, 1981)
8. Marco Guida (ITA, 1981)
9. Maurizio Mariani (ITA, 1982)
10. Serdar Gözübüyük (NED, 1985)
11. Danny Makkelie (NED, 1983)
12. Espen Eskas (NOR, 1988)
13. Szymon Marciniak (POL, 1981)
14. Joao Pinheiro (POR, 1988)
15. Istvan Kovacs (ROU, 1984)
16. Ivan Kruzliak (SVK, 1984)
17. Slavko Vincic (SVN, 1979)
18. Jesus Gil Manzano (ESP, 1984)
19. Jose Sanchez Martinez (ESP, 1983)
20. Glenn Nyberg (SWE, 1988)
21. Sandro Schärer (SUI, 1988)
22. Halil Meler (TUR, 1986)

FIFA Women's World Cup 2027 – Candidate Referees Seminar (CONMEBOL)

Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), 17-21 March 2025

Referees

1. Gabriela Coronel ARG

2. Roberta Echeverria ARG
3. Adriana Farfan BOL
4. Alejandra Quisbert BOL
5. Edina Alves BRA
6. Daiane Muniz BRA
7. Charly Straud BRA
8. Dayared Ramirez CHI
9. Dione Rissios CHI
10. Maria Daza COL
11. Paula Fernandez COL
12. Veronica Guazhambo ECU
13. Marcelly Zambrano ECU
14. Zulma Quinonez PAR
15. Angelina Rodas PAR
16. Milagros Arruela PER
17. Elizabeth Tintaya PER
18. Anahi Fernandez URU
19. Nadia Fuques URU
20. Emikar Calderas VEN
21. Stefani Escobar VEN

Source: AUF

UEFA U-21 Euro 2025

Slovakia, 11-28 June 2025

Referee: Elchin Masiyev AZE (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Elshad Abdullayev
Assistant Referee 2: Parvin Talibov
VAR:

Referee: Jakob Sundberg DEN
Assistant Referee 1: Victor Skytte DEN
Assistant Referee 2: Deniz Yurdakul DEN
VAR: Jonas Hansen DEN

Referee: John Brooks ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Daniel Robathan ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Simon Bennett ENG
VAR: Michael Salisbury ENG

Referee: Goga Kikacheishvili GEO
Assistant Referee 1:
Assistant Referee 2:
VAR:

Referee: Vasilios Fotias GRE
Assistant Referee 1: Andreas Meintanas GRE
Assistant Referee 2: Mihalis Papadakis GRE
VAR: Angelos Evangelou GRE

Referee: Simone Sozza ITA
Assistant Referee 1:
Assistant Referee 2:
VAR:

Referee: Sander van der Eijk NED
Assistant Referee 1:
Assistant Referee 2:
VAR:

Referee: Damian Sylwestrak POL
Assistant Referee 1:
Assistant Referee 2:
VAR:

Referee: Nicholas Walsh SCO
Assistant Referee 1:
Assistant Referee 2:
VAR:

Referee: Nenad Minaković SRB
Assistant Referee 1:
Assistant Referee 2:
VAR:

Referee: Alessandro Dudic SUI
Assistant Referee 1:
Assistant Referee 2:
VAR:

FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2025

Seychelles, 1-11 May 2025

AFC

1. Yuichi Hatano (JPN, 1981, photo)
2. Fallah Al Balushi (OMA, 1983)
3. Ibrahim Al-Raeesi (UAE, 1984)
4. Nayim Kosimov (UZB, 1988)

CAF
1. Ramadhani Ndayisaba (BDI, 1986)
2. Louis Siave (MRI, 1988)
3. Hamdi Bchir (TUN, 1985)

CONCACAF
1. Juan Angeles (DOM, 1979)
2. Jorge Tunon (PAN, 1993)
3. Gonzalo Carballo (SLV, 1982)

CONMEBOL
1. Mariano Romo (ARG, 1981)
2. Lucas Estevao (BRA, 1985)
3. Jorge Gomez (COL, 1986)
4. Micke Palomino (PER, 1981)
5. Aecio Fernandez (URU, 1983)

OFC
1. Aurelien Planchais-Godefroy (TAH, 1981)

UEFA
1. Vladimir Tashkov (BUL, 1987)
2. Alejandro Ojaos Valera (ESP, 1992)
3. Matthieu Dor (FRA, 1984)
4. Saverio Bottalico (ITA, 1981)
5. Vitalij Gomolko (LTU, 1989)
6. Lukasz Ostrowski (POL, 1985)
7. Sergio Gomes (POR, 1979)
8. Ozcan Sultanoglu (TUR, 1986)

CONMEBOL U-17 Championship 2025

Colombia, 27 March - 12 April 2025

Referee: Sebastian Martinez (ARG, photo)

Assistant Referee 1: Juan Mamani (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Mariana de Almeida (ARG)

Referee: Gabriel Mendoza (BOL)
Assistant Referee 1: Luis Valdez (BOL)
Assistant Referee 2: Richard Orellana (BOL)

Referee: Matheus Candancan (BRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Luanderson de Lima (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Brigida Cirilo(BRA)

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

Referee: Diego Ulloa (COL)
Assistant Referee 1: David Fuentes (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: Jenny Torres (COL)

Referee: Anthony Diaz (ECU)
Assistant Referee 1: Andres Tola (ECU)
Assistant Referee 2: Viviana Segura (ECU)

Referee: David Ojeda (PAR)
Assistant Referee 1: Esteban Testta (PAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Lorena Miranda (PAR)

Referee: Jordi Espinoza (PER)
Assistant Referee 1: Albert Alarcon (PER)
Assistant Referee 2: Leonard Soto (PER)

Referee: Hernan Heras (URU)
Assistant Referee 1: Pablo Llarena (URU)
Assistant Referee 2: Matias Muniz (URU)

Referee: Rony Cuevas (VEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Pablo Garcia (VEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Thaity Dugarte (VEN)

Referee Assessors

1. Angel Sanchez (ARG)

2. Jorge Antequera (BOL)

3. Ubaldo Aquino (PAR)

4. Jairo Romero (VEN)

UEFA Women’s Champions League 2024/25 – Quarter-finals (Second Leg)

26 March 2025

Olympique Lyonnais – Bayern Munchen
Referee: Iuliana Demetrescu ROU (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Maja Petravić CRO
Assistant Referee 2: Ceri Williams WAL
Fourth Official: Ivana Martinčić CRO
VAR: Cătălin Popa ROU
AVAR: Cristina Trandafir ROU
Referee Observer: Kirsi Heikkinen FIN

Arsenal WFC – Real Madrid
Referee: Silvia Gasperotti ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Tiziana Trasciatti ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Anita Vad HUN
Fourth Official: Katalin Kulcsár HUN
VAR: Aleandro Di Paolo ITA
AVAR: Eszter Urbán HUN
Referee Observer: Dagmar Damková CZE

27 March 2025
FC Barcelona – VfL Wolfsburg
Referee: Stéphanie Frappart FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Paulina Baranowska POL
Assistant Referee 2: Irina Pozdejeva LTU
Fourth Official: Tess Olofsson SWE
VAR: Jarred Gillett ENG
AVAR: Sian Massey-Ellis ENG
Referee Observer: Esther Azzopardi MLT

Chelsea FC – Manchester City
Referee: Catarina Campos POR
Assistant Referee 1: Andreia Sousa POR
Assistant Referee 2: Vanessa Gomes POR
Fourth Official: Sandra Bastos POR
VAR: André Narciso POR
AVAR: Fábio Melo POR
Referee Observer: Sandra Renon FRA

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers – CONMEBOL (Matchday 14)

25 March 2025

Argentina – Brazil
Referee: Andres Rojas COL (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Alexander Guzman COL
Assistant Referee 2: Richard Ortiz COL
Fourth Official: Carlos Betancur COL
VAR: John Perdomo COL
AVAR: Leonard Mosquera COL
Referee Assessor: Victor Carrillo PER
VAR Supervisor: Luis Vera ECU

Bolivia – Uruguay
Referee: Augusto Aragon ECU
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Lescano ECU
Assistant Referee 2: Dennys Guerrero ECU
Fourth Official: Guillermo Guerrero ECU
VAR: Carlos Orbe ECU
AVAR: Franklin Congo ECU
Referee Assessor: Candelario Andarcia VEN
VAR Supervisor: Victor Martinez PAR

Colombia – Paraguay
Referee: Facundo Tello ARG
Assistant Referee 1: Juan Belatti ARG
Assistant Referee 2: Gabriel Chade ARG
Fourth Official: Maximiliano Ramirez ARG
VAR: Silvio Trucco ARG
AVAR: Hector Paletta ARG
Referee Assessor: Roberto Perassi BRA
VAR Supervisor: Roberto Silvera URU

Chile – Ecuador
Referee: Gustavo Tejera URU
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Taran URU
Assistant Referee 2: Martin Soppi URU
Fourth Official: Alberto Feres URU
VAR: Andres Cunha URU
AVAR: Christian Ferreyra URU
Referee Assessor: Ricardo Casas ARG
VAR Supervisor: Juan Restrepo COL

Venezuela – Peru
Referee: Cristian Garay CHI
Assistant Referee 1: Claudio Urrutia CHI
Assistant Referee 2: Alejandro Molina CHI
Fourth Official: Jose Cabero CHI
VAR: Juan Lara CHI
AVAR: Alan Sandoval CHI
Referee Assessor: Manuel Bernal PAR
VAR Supervisor: Angel Sanchez ARG

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers – UEFA (Matchday 2)

24 March 2025 

Lithuania – Finland
Referee: Erik Lambrechts BEL (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Jo De Weirdt BEL
Assistant Referee 2: Kevin Monteny BEL
Fourth Official: Jasper Vergoote BEL
VAR: Bram Van Driessche BEL
AVAR: Nathan Verboomen BEL
Referee Assessor: Joao Ferreira POR

Poland – Malta
Referee: Morten Krogh DEN
Assistant Referee 1: Dennis Rasmussen DEN
Assistant Referee 2: Steffen Bramsen DEN
Fourth Official: Jacob Karlsen DEN
VAR: Jakob Kehlet DEN
AVAR: Sandi Putros DEN
Referee Assessor: Chaim Yakov ISR

Bosnia and Herzegovina – Cyprus
Referee: Rohit Saggi NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Morten Jensen NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Anders Dale NOR
Fourth Official: Daniel Higraff NOR
VAR: Tom Hagen NOR
AVAR: Kristoffer Hagenes NOR
Referee Assessor: Martin Atkinson ENG

San Marino – Romania
Referee: Damian Sylwestrzak POL
Assistant Referee 1: Pawel Sokolnicki POL
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Karasewicz POL
Fourth Official: Lukasz Kuźma POL
VAR: Piotr Lasyk POL
AVAR: Wojciech Myć POL
Referee Assessor: Alberto Undiano Mallenco ESP

England – Latvia
Referee: Orel Grinfeld ISR
Assistant Referee 1: Roi Hasan ISR
Assistant Referee 2: Idan Yarkoni ISR
Fourth Official: Yigal Frid ISR
VAR: Ziv Adler ISR
AVAR: Daniel Natan ISR
Referee Assessor: Alan Sant MLT

Albania – Andorra
Referee: Sebastian Gishamer AUT
Assistant Referee 1: Roland Riedel AUT
Assistant Referee 2: Santino Schreiner AUT
Fourth Official: Walter Altmann AUT
VAR: Manuel Schüttengruber AUT
AVAR: Sara Telek AUT
Referee Assessor: Domagoj Vučkov CRO

25 March 2025
Moldova – Estonia
Referee: Lawrence Visser BEL
Assistant Referee 1: Rien Vanyzere BEL
Assistant Referee 2: Thibaud Nijssen BEL
Fourth Official: Lothar D’Hondt BEL
VAR: Jan Boterberg BEL
AVAR: Bert Put BEL
Referee Assessor: Thomas Einwaller AUT

Israel – Norway
Referee: Christopher Kavanagh ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Lee Betts ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Neil Davies ENG
Fourth Official: Samuel Barrott ENG
VAR: Michael Salisbury ENG
AVAR: Andrew Madley ENG
Referee Assessor: Alain Hamer LUX

North Macedonia – Wales
Referee: Jérôme Brisard FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Erwan Finjean FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Alexis Auger FRA
Fourth Official: Romain Lissorgue FRA
VAR: Bastien Dechepy FRA
AVAR: Éric Wattellier FRA
Referee Assessor: Stefano Podeschi SMR

Liechtenstein – Kazakhstan
Referee: John Beaton SCO
Assistant Referee 1: Daniel McFarlane SCO
Assistant Referee 2: David McGeachie SCO
Fourth Official: David Dickinson SCO
VAR: Kevin Clancy SCO
AVAR: Jonas Hansen DEN
Referee Assessor: Volodymyr Petrov UKR

Montenegro – Faroe Islands
Referee: Allard Lindhout NED
Assistant Referee 1: Rogier Honig NED
Assistant Referee 2: Johan Balder NED
Fourth Official: Sander van der Eijk NED
VAR: Jeroen Manschot NED
AVAR: Richard Martens NED
Referee Assessor: Viktor Kassai HUN

Gibraltar – Czechia
Referee: Horațiu Feșnic ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Valentin Avram ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Alexandru Cerei ROU
Fourth Official: Szabolcs Kovacs ROU
VAR: Ovidiu Hațegan ROU
AVAR: Sorin Costreie ROU
Referee Assessor: Marián Ružbarsky SVK

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers – AFC (Round 3, Matchday 8)

25 March 2025

Korea – Jordan
Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev UZB (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Andrey Tsapenko UZB
Assistant Referee 2: Timur Gaynulin UZB
Fourth Official: Rustam Lutfullin UZB
VAR: Firdavs Norsafarov UZB
AVAR: Akhrol Risqullaev UZB

Japan – Saudi Arabia
Referee: Ahmad Al-Ali KUW
Assistant Referee 1: Abdulhadi Al-Anezi KUW
Assistant Referee 2: Ahmad Abbas KUW
Fourth Official: Ammar Ashkanani KUW
VAR: Abdullah Jamali KUW
AVAR: Saud Al Samhan KUW

China – Australia
Referee: Mooud Bonyadifard IRN
Assistant Referee 1: Alireza Ildorom IRN
Assistant Referee 2: Farhad Moravveji IRN
Fourth Official: Payam Heydari IRN
VAR: Woo-Sung Kim KOR
AVAR: Hyun-Jae Choi KOR

Kyrgyzstan – Qatar
Referee: Nazmi Bin Nasaruddin MAS
Assistant Referee 1: Mohamad Bin Khalil MAS
Assistant Referee 2: Mohamad Zainal MAS
Fourth Official: Tuan Mohd Yasin MAS
VAR: Fu Ming CHN
AVAR: Jin Jingyuan CHN

Indonesia – Bahrain
Referee: Sadullo Gulmurodi TJK
Assistant Referee 1: Hasan Karimov TJK
Assistant Referee 2: Farkhod Kuralov TJK
Fourth Official: Zainiddinov Sayyodjon TJK
VAR: Mohamed Obaid UAE
AVAR: Omar Al-Ali UAE

Iran – Uzbekistan
Referee: Ahmed Al-Kaf OMA
Assistant Referee 1: Abu Al-Amri OMA
Assistant Referee 2: Rashid Al-Ghaithi OMA
Fourth Official: Kassem Al-Hatmi OMA
VAR: Muhammad Bin Jahari SIN
AVAR: Abdul Hasim SIN

Korea DPR – UAE
Referee: Mohammed Al-Hoish KSA
Assistant Referee 1: Khalaf Al-Shammari KSA
Assistant Referee 2: Yasir Al-Sultan KSA
Fourth Official: Faisal Al-Blwi KSA
VAR: Abdullah Al-Shehri KSA
AVAR: Ibrahim Al-Dakheel KSA

Kuwait – Oman
Referee: Salman Falahi QAT
Assistant Referee 1: Ramzan Al Naemi QAT
Assistant Referee 2: Majid Al Shammari QAT
Fourth official: Mohammed Al Shammari QAT
VAR: Abdulla Al Marri QAT
AVAR: Mohammed Ahmed QAT

Palestine – Iraq
Referee: Khalid Al-Turais KSA
Assistant Referee 1: Mohammed Al-Abakry KSA
Assistant Referee 2: Khalaf Al-Shammari KSA
Fourth Official: Shukri Al-Hanfosh KSA
VAR: Majed Al-Shamrani KSA
AVAR: Mamdouh Al-Shahdan KSA

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers – OFC (Round 3, Final)

24 March 2025

New Caledonia – New Zealand
Referee: Ben Aukwai SOL (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Folio Moeaki TGA
Assistant Referee 2: Maleatala Salanoa SAM
Fourth Official: David Yareboinen PNG
Reserve AR: Bernard Mutukera SOL

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers – CAF (Round 1, Matchday 6)

23-25 March 2025

Kenya – Gabon
Referee: Ibrahim Mutaz LBY (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Khalil Hassani TUN
Assistant Referee 2: Zakaria Brinsi MAR
Fourth Official: Abdulwahid Huraywidah LBY

Eswatini – Mauritius
Referee: Younoussa Camara GUI
Assistant Referee 1: Abdoulaye Sylla GUI
Assistant Referee 2 : Yamoussa Sylla GUI
Fourth Official: Naby Toure GUI

Namibia – Equatorial Guinea
Referee: Mohamed Maarouf EGY
Assistant Referee 1: Samir Saad EGY
Assistant Referee 2: Ahmed Hossam EGY
Fourth Official: Ahmed El-Ghandour EGY

Guinea Bissau – Burkina Faso
Referee: Samuel Uwikunda RWA
Assistant Referee 1: Dieudonne Mutuyimana RWA
Assistant Referee 2: Eric Mugabo RWA
Fourth Official: Aline Umutoni RWA

Central African Republic – Mali
Referee: Godfrey Nkhakananga MWI
Assistant Referee 1: Pondamali Tembo MWI
Assistant Referee 2: Clemence Kanduku MWI
Fourth Official: Thabani Ruzario MWI

Liberia – Sao Tome and Principe
Referee: Mohamed Moussa NIG
Assistant Referee 1: Soufia Garba NIG
Assistant Referee 2: Abdoul Yacouba NIG
Fourth Official: Brahamou Sadou NIG

Madagascar – Ghana
Referee: Issa Sy SEN
Assistant Referee 1: Djibril Camara SEN
Assistant Referee 2: Nouha Bangoura SEN
Fourth Official: Amadou Sy SEN

Ethiopia – Djibouti
Referee: Luxolo Badi RSA
Assistant Referee 1: Kgara Mokoena RSA
Assistant Referee 2: Jerson Dos Santos ANG
Fourth Official: Noris Arissol SEY

Tunisia – Malawi
Referee: Louis Houngnandande BEN
Assistant Referee 1: Eric Ayimavo BEN
Assistant Referee 2: Detondji Dodometin BEN
Fourth Official: Stanislas Ahomlanto BEN

Nigeria – Zimbabwe
Referee: Tsegay Teklu ERI
Assistant Referee 1: Eyobel Ghebru ERI
Assistant Referee 2: Sirak Menghis ERI
Fourth Official: Idris Osman ERI

Benin – South Africa
Referee: Dahane Beida MTN
Assistant Referee 1: Brahim Hmade MTN
Assistant Referee 2: Kalidou Ba MTN
Fourth Official: Moussa Diou MTN

Rwanda – Lesotho
Referee: Antoine Effa CMR
Assistant Referee 1: Elvis Noupue CMR
Assistant Referee 2: Rodrigue Menye CMR
Fourth Official: Andre Kolissala CMR

Angola – Cabo Verde
Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal ALG
Assistant Referee 1: Mokrane Gourari ALG
Assistant Referee 2: Hamza Bouzit ALG
Fourth Official: Nabil Boukhalfa ALG

Uganda – Guinea
Referee: Jean Ndala COD
Assistant Referee 1: Nabina Sebutu COD
Assistant Referee 2: Guylain Ngila COD
Fourth Official: Numbi Kibingo COD

Egypt – Sierra Leone
Referee: Ahmad Heeralall MRI
Assistant Referee 1: Aswet Teeluck MRI
Assistant Referee 2: Luckson Mhara MRI
Fourth Official: Brighton Chimene MRI

Sudan – South Sudan
Referee: Jean Ouattara BFA
Assistant Referee 1: Seydou Tiama BFA
Assistant Referee 2: Dofinte Lamien BFA
Fourth Official: Benoit Bado BFA

Cameroon – Libya
Referee: Abongile Tom RSA
Assistant Referee 1: Zakhele Siwela RSA
Assistant Referee 2: Khamusi Razwimisani RSA
Fourth Official: Masixole Bambiso RSA

Cote d’Ivoire – Gambia
Referee: Ring Malong SSD

Botswana – Somalia
Referee: Joseph Ogabor NGA

Burundi – Seychelles
Referee: Youcef Gamouh ALG
Assistant Referee 1: Aymen Ismail ALG
Assistant Referee 2: Youssef Jami ALG
Fourth Official: Naim Hosni ALG

Senegal – Togo
Referee: Peter Waweru KEN
Assistant Referee 1: Gilbert Cheruiyot KEN
Assistant Referee 2: Stephen Yiembe KEN
Fourth Official: Josephine Wanjiku KEN

Mauritania – Congo DR
Referee: Mohamed Athoumani COM
Assistant Referee 1: Soulaimane Amaldine COM
Assistant Referee 2: Mohamed Ibrahim COM

Comoros – Chad
Referee: Aklesso Gname TOG
Assistant Referee 1: Jonathan Koffi TOG
Assistant Referee 2: Komlan Adiwotso TOG

Morocco – Tanzania
Referee: Alhadi Mahamat CHA
Assistant Referee 1: Bogola Issa CHA
Assistant Referee 2: Moussa Hafiz CHA

Algeria – Mozambique
Referee: Pacifique Ndabihawenimana BDI
Assistant Referee 1: Emery Niyongabo BDI
Assistant Referee 2: Fides Bangurambona BDI
Fourth Official: Suavis Iratunga BDI

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers – OFC (Round 3, Semi-finals)

20-21 March 2025

New Caledonia – Tahiti
Referee: Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh NZL
Assistant Referee 1: Isaac Trevis NZL
Assistant Referee 2: Edward Cook NZL
Fourth Official: Veer Singh FIJ
Reserve AR: Gareth Sheehan NZL

New Zealand – Fiji
Referee: Norbert Hauata TAH
Assistant Referee 1: Bertrand Brial NCL
Assistant Referee 2: Jeffrey Solodia SOL
Fourth Official: David Yareboinen PNG
Reserve AR: Jeremy Garae VAN

Concacaf Nations League Final 2025: Escobar (GUA)

23 March 2025

Final

Mexico – Panama
Referee: Mario Escobar GUA (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Luis Ventura GUA
Assistant Referee 2: Humberto Panjoj GUA
Fourth Official: Walter Lopez GUA
Reserve AR: Keytzel Corrales NCA
VAR: Tatiana Guzman NCA
AVAR: Benjamin Pineda CRC
Referee Assessor: Leonel Leal CRC

Match for Third Place
Canada – USA
Referee: Katia Garcia MEX
Assistant Referee 1: Sandra Ramirez MEX
Assistant Referee 2: Karen Diaz MEX
Fourth Official: Keylor Herrera CRC
VAR: Guillermo Pacheco MEX
AVAR: Jesus Montero CRC
Referee Assessor: Jose Camargo GUA

UEFA Nations League 2024/2025 – Quarter-finals (Second Leg)

23 March 2025

Spain – Netherlands
Referee: Clément Turpin FRA (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Danos FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Benjamin Pagès FRA
Fourth Official: Stéphanie Frappart FRA
VAR: Willy Delajod FRA
AVAR: Benoît Millot FRA
Referee Observer: Lucílio Batista POR

Germany – Italy
Referee: Szymon Marciniak POL
Assistant Referee 1: Tomasz Listkiewicz POL
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Kupsik POL
Fourth Official: Pawel Raczkowski POL
VAR: Pawel Pskit POL
AVAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
Referee Observer: Gylfi Orrason ISL

France – Croatia
Referee: Michael Oliver ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Stuart Burt ENG
Assistant Referee 2: James Mainwaring ENG
Fourth Official: Tony Harrington ENG
VAR: Jarred Gillett ENG
AVAR: Peter Bankes ENG
Referee Observer: Murat Ilgaz TUR

Portugal – Denmark
Referee: Slavko Vinčič SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Tomaž Klančnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Andraž Kovačič SVN
Fourth Official: David Šmajc SVN
VAR: Alen Borošak SVN
AVAR: Aleksandar Matkovič SVN
Referee Observer: Uno Tutk EST

UEFA Nations League 2024/2025 – Play-Offs (Second Leg)

23 March 2025

Hungary – Turkey
Referee: Felix Zwayer GER (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Robert Kempter GER
Assistant Referee 2: Christian Dietz GER
Fourth Official: Florian Badstübner GER
VAR: Bastian Dankert GER
AVAR: Patrick Hanslbauer GER
Referee Observer: Carlos Velasco Carballo ESP

Georgia – Armenia
Referee: Anthony Taylor ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Gary Beswick ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Nunn ENG
Fourth Official: Robert Jones ENG
VAR: Darren England ENG
AVAR: Stuart Attwell ENG
Referee Observer: Martin Ingvarsson SWE

Serbia – Austria
Referee: José Sánchez Martínez ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Raúl Cabañero Martínez ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Inigo Prieto López ESP
Fourth Official: Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz ESP
VAR: Juan Martínez Munuera ESP
AVAR: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández ESP
Referee Observer: Darko Čeferin SVN

Iceland – Kosovo
Referee: Jesús Gil Manzano ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Diego Barbero Sevilla ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Ángel Nevado Rodríguez ESP
Fourth Official: César Soto Grado ESP
VAR: Carlos Del Cerro Grande ESP
AVAR: José Munuera Montero ESP
Referee Observer: Matteo Trefoloni ITA

Scotland – Greece
Referee: Davide Massa ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Filippo Meli ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Stefano Alassio ITA
Fourth Official: Fabio Maresca ITA
VAR: Daniele Chiffi ITA
AVAR: Valerio Marini ITA
Referee Observer: Jorn-West Larsen DEN

Slovenia – Slovakia
Referee: Istvan Kovacs ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Mihai Marica ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Ferencz Tunyogi ROU
Fourth Official: Marcel Bîrsan ROU
VAR: Cătălin Sorin Popa ROU
AVAR: Sebastian Colțescu ROU
Referee Observer: Cyril Zimmermann SUI

Belgium – Ukraine
Referee: Daniel Siebert GER
Assistant Referee 1: Rafael Foltyn GER
Assistant Referee 2: Dominik Schaal GER
Fourth Official: Daniel Schlager GER
VAR: Pascal Müller GER
AVAR: Katrin Rafalski GER
Referee Observer: Stefan Messner AUT

Ireland – Bulgaria
Referee: Halil Meler TUR
Assistant Referee 1: Ibrahim Uyarcan TUR
Assistant Referee 2: Abdullah Özkara TUR
Fourth Official: Mehmet Türkmen TUR
VAR: Dennis Higler NED
AVAR: Ingmar Oostrom NED
Referee Observer: Martin Hansson SWE

FIFA Futsal Women's World Cup 2025 Qualifiers – UEFA (Elite Round)

19-22 March 2025

Group A – Montesilvano (Italy)

Referees
1. Marijana Orešić CRO
2. Alice Vevodova CZE (photo)
3. Florentina Kallaba KOS
4. Mariia Myslovska UKR
Timekeeper
Davide Copat ITA
Referee Observer
Pedro Galan Nieto ESP

Group B – Besancon (France)

Referees
1. Larisa Avramidou CYP
2. Annamaria Tolnay HUN
3. Emilie Aubry SUI
4. Fatma Tursun TUR
Timekeeper
Oceane Ordonez Gomez FRA
Referee Observer
Stefan Weber GER

US FIFA Referee Elfath to lead Morocco’s Refereeing Reform

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has enlisted FIFA referee Ismail Elfath to spearhead a comprehensive overhaul of the country’s refereeing system, FRMF President Fouzi Lekjaa disclosed Tuesday at the federation’s headquarters. Elfath, a prominent Moroccan-American official, will undertake an extensive audit of Morocco’s officiating structure, collaborating with the National Refereeing Department and the Central Refereeing Commission to devise strategic improvements. The Federation unveiled the initiative during a high-level gathering at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Marmora, assembling key stakeholders from the National Refereeing Department, Central Refereeing Commission, and National Professional Football League. Addressing the assembly, Lekjaa shed light on officiating’s vital role in football competitions, acknowledging that refereeing sparks debate globally, with discussions intensifying based on match outcomes. He commended the National Refereeing Department’s ongoing efforts while introducing this new development phase.

Born in Casablanca in 1982 and later moved to the USA at 18, Elfath began his professional refereeing career in 2011 and debuted in Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2012. Since becoming a FIFA referee in 2016, he has officiated at several major tournaments, including the 2019 U-20 World Cup, the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. His experience also extends to CONCACAF competitions, where he has refereed multiple Gold Cup matches. Speaking to the press, Elfath pledged to leverage his international expertise and collaborate with Moroccan officials to elevate the national refereeing standards. He outlined plans for a thorough assessment of all aspects of Moroccan refereeing, noting that the country’s football landscape and passionate fan base necessitate high-quality officiating. He also promised to incorporate global best practices into the development strategy. The initiative aims to establish a detailed roadmap for advancing Morocco’s refereeing standards, building upon existing foundations while implementing international benchmarks. The reform comes as the North African country stands on the threshold of hosting two major sporting events – the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Source: Morocco World News

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers – UEFA (Matchday 1)

21 March 2025
Cyprus – San Marino
Referee: Andris Treimanis LVA (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Haralds Gudermanis LVA
Assistant Referee 2: Aleksejs Spasjonņikovs LVA
Fourth Official: Vitalijs Spasjonnikovs LVA
VAR: Kristaps Ratnieks LVA
AVAR: Tamás Bognár HUN
Referee Assessor: Levan Paniashvili GEO

Poland – Lithuania
Referee: Anastásios Sidirópoulos GRE
Assistant Referee 1: Polychrónis Kostarás GRE
Assistant Referee 2: Lázaros Dimitriádis GRE
Fourth Official: Ioánnis Papadópoulos GRE
VAR: Ángelos Evangélou GRE
AVAR: Athanásios Tzílos GRE
Referee Assessor: Ante Vučemilović-Šimunović CRO

Malta – Finland
Referee: Simone Sozza ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Giovanni Baccini ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Davide Imperiale ITA
Fourth Official: Andrea Colombo ITA
VAR: Gianluca Aureliano ITA
AVAR: Rosario Abisso ITA
Referee Assessor: Jan Wegereef NED

Romania – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Referee: Danny Makkelie NED
Assistant Referee 1: Hessel Steegstra NED
Assistant Referee 2: Jan de Vries NED
Fourth Official: Marc Nagtegaal NED
VAR: Rob Dieperink NED
AVAR: Jeroen Manschot NED
Referee Assessor: Manuel Díaz Vega ESP

England – Albania
Referee: Alejandro Hernández Hernández ESP
Assistant Referee 1: José Naranjo Pérez ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Diego Sánchez Rojo ESP
Fourth Official: Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz ESP
VAR: César Soto Grado ESP
AVAR: Valentín Pizarro Gómez ESP
Referee Assessor: Geórgios Bíkas GRE

Andorra – Latvia
Referee: Giorgi Kruashvili GEO
Assistant Referee 1: Levan Varamishvili GEO
Assistant Referee 2: Giorgi Elikashvili GEO
Fourth Official: Aleko Aptsiauri GEO
VAR: Giorgi Avazashvili GEO
AVAR: Bakur Ninua GEO
Referee Assessor: Ichko Lozev BUL

22 March 2025
Liechtenstein – North Macedonia
Referee: Mykola Balakin UKR
Assistant Referee 1: Viktor Matyash UKR
Assistant Referee 2: Oleksandr Berkut UKR
Fourth Official: Denys Shurman UKR
VAR: Viktor Kopiyevskyy UKR
AVAR: Oleksiy Derevinskyy UKR
Referee Assessor: John Ward IRL

Moldova – Norway
Referee: Matej Jug SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Matej Žunič SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Manuel Vidali SVN
Fourth Official: Novak Simović SRB
VAR: Asmir Sagrkovič SVN
AVAR: Momčilo Marković SRB
Referee Assessor: Edgar Steinborn GER

Montenegro – Gibraltar
Referee: António Nobre POR
Assistant Referee 1: Pedro Ribeiro POR
Assistant Referee 2: Nélson Pereira POR
Fourth Official: Fábio Veríssimo POR
VAR: André Filipe Narciso POR
AVAR: Fábio Melo POR
Referee Assessor: Frank De Bleeckere BEL

Israel – Estonia
Referee: Nikola Dabanović MNE
Assistant Referee 1: Vladan Todorović MNE
Assistant Referee 2: Srdjan Jovanović MNE
Fourth Official: Miloš Bošković MNE
VAR: Mario Zebec CRO
AVAR: Fran Jović CRO
Referee Assessor: Pascal Garibian FRA

Wales – Kazakhstan
Referee: Donatas Rumšas LTU
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandr Radiuš LTU
Assistant Referee 2: Dovydas Sužiedėlis LTU
Fourth Official: Manfredas Lukjančukas LTU
VAR: Donatas Šimėnas LTU
AVAR: Orestas Abramavičius LTU
Referee Assessor: Bernardino González Vázquez ESP

Czechia – Faroe Islands
Referee: Rade Obrenovič SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Jure Praprotnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Grega Kordež SVN
Fourth Official: Martin Matoša SVN
VAR: Daniele Doveri ITA
AVAR: Daniele Paterna ITA
Referee Assessor: Juan Fernández Marín ESP

Concacaf Nations League 2024/2025 – Semi-finals

20 March 2025

USA – Panama
Referee: Oshane Nation JAM (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Caleb Wales TRI
Assistant Referee 2: Ojay Duhaney JAM
Fourth Official: Ismael Cornejo SLV
Reserve AR: Karen Diaz MEX
VAR: Daneon Parchment JAM
AVAR: Benjamin Whitty CAY
Referee Assessor: Jose Camargo GUA

Canada – Mexico
Referee: Said Martinez HON
Assistant Referee 1: Walter Lopez HON
Assistant Referee 2: Christian Ramirez HON
Fourth Official: Selvin Brown HON
Reserve AR: Humberto Panjoj GUA
VAR: Benjamin Pineda CRC
AVAR: Jesus Montero CRC
Referee Assessor: Leonel Leal CRC

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers – AFC (Round 3, Matchday 7)

20 March 2025

Korea – Oman
Referee: Alireza Faghani AUS (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Anton Shchetinin AUS
Assistant Referee 2: Ashley Beecham AUS
Fourth Official: Koki Nagamine JPN
VAR: Kate Jacewicz AUS
AVAR: Jonathan Barreiro AUS

Uzbekistan – Kyrgyzstan
Referee: Yusuke Araki JPN
Assistant Referee 1: Jun Mihara JP
Assistant Referee 2: Kota Watanabe JPN
Fourth Official: Ryo Tanimoto JPN
VAR: Jumpei Iida JPN
AVAR: Hiroki Kasahara JPN

Iraq – Kuwait
Referee: Ma Ning CHN
Assistant Referee 1: Zhou Fei CHN
Assistant Referee 2: Zhang Cheng CHN
Fourth Official: Zhang Lei CHN
VAR: Fu Ming CHN
AVAR: Jin Jingyuan CHN

Australia – Indonesia
Referee: Adham Makhadmeh JOR
Assistant Referee 1: Mohammad Al-Kalaf JOR
Assistant Referee 2: Ahmad Al-Roalle JOR
Fourth Official: Ahmed Al Ali JOR
VAR: Sivakorn Pu-Udom THA
AVAR: Wiwat Jumpaoon THA

Japan – Bahrain
Referee: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim QAT
Assistant Referee 1: Taleb Al-Marri QAT
Assistant Referee 2: Saoud Al-Maqaleh QAT
Fourth Official: Abdulhadi Al-Ruaile QAT
VAR: Khamis Al-Marri QAT
AVAR: Meshari Al-Shammari QAT

Saudi Arabia – China
Referee: Omar Al-Ali UAE UAE
Assistant Referee 1: Mohamed Al-Hammadi UAE
Assistant Referee 2: Jasem Al-Ali UAE
Fourth Official: Ahmed Issa UAE
VAR: Mohamed Obaid UAE
AVAR: Yahya Al-Mulla UAE

Iran – UAE
Referee: Ko Hyung-Jin KOR
Assistant Referee 1: Yoon Jae-Yeol KOR
Assistant Referee 2: Park Sang-Jun KOR
Fourth Official: Kim Dae-Yong KOR
VAR: Kim Woo-Sung KOR
AVAR: Choi Hyun-Jae KOR

Qatar – Korea DPR
Referee: Mohanad Sarray IRQ
Assistant Referee 1: Watheq Al-Swaiedi IRQ
Assistant Referee 2: Ahmed Al-Baghdadi IRQ
Fourth Official: Zaid Mohammed IRQ
VAR: Abdullah Al-Shehri IRQ
AVAR: Ibrahim Al-Dakheel IRQ

Jordan – Palestine
Referee: Shaun Evans AUS
Assistant Referee 1: George Lakrindis AUS
Assistant Referee 2: Owen Goldrick AUS
Fourth Official: Adam Kersey AUS
VAR: Alex King AUS
AVAR: Daniel Elder AUS

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers – CAF (Round 1, Matchday 5)

19-22 March 2025

Mozambique – Uganda

Referee: Pierre Atcho GAB (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Boris Ditsoga GAB
Assistant Referee 2: Carine Fomo CMR
Fourth Official: Cregue Moukagni GAB

Zimbabwe – Benin
Referee: Bamlak Tessema ETH
Assistant Referee 1: Samuel Temesgen ETH
Assistant Referee 2: Tigle Gizaw ETH
Fourth Official: Haileyesus Bazezew ETH

Eswatini – Cameroon
Referee: Lucky Kasalirwe UGA
Assistant Referee 1: Ronald Katenya UGA
Assistant Referee 2: Hakim Mulindwa UGA
Fourth Official: Shamirah Nabadda UGA

Central African Republic – Madagascar
Referee: Adalbert Diouf SEN
Assistant Referee 1: Amadou Ngom SEN
Assistant Referee 2: Mamadou Ngom SEN
Fourth Official: Alioune Sandigui SEN

Cabo Verde – Mauritius
Referee: Daniel Laryea GHA
Assistant Referee 1: Roland Dodoo GHA
Assistant Referee 2: Kwasi Brobbey GHA
Fourth Official: Charles Bulu GHA

Malawi – Namibia
Referee: Jelly Chavani RSA
Assistant Referee 1: Elphas Sitole RSA
Assistant Referee 2: Cledwin Baloyi RSA
Fourth Official: Masixole Bambiso RSA

Comoros – Mali
Referee: Mahmood Ismail SDN
Assistant Referee 1: Ahmed El-Fatih SDN
Assistant Referee 2: Ali Mohamed SDN
Fourth Official: Abdelaziz Ahmed SDN

Liberia – Tunisia
Referee: Clement Kpan CIV
Assistant Referee 1: Koabenan Adiouman CIV
Assistant Referee 2: Kalilou Bamba CIV
Fourth Official: Kouassi Biro CIV

Gambia – Kenya
Referee: Abdou Mefire CMR
Assistant Referee 1: Elvis Noupue CMR
Assistant Referee 2: Rodrigue Mpele CMR
Fourth Official: Franck Bito CMR

Libya – Angola
Referee: Lamin Jammeh GAM
Assistant Referee 1: Mustapha Bojang GAM
Assistant Referee 2: Abass Bah GAM
Fourth Official: Omar Sallah GAM

Gabon – Seychelles
Referee: Mehrez Malki TUN
Assistant Referee 1: Wael Hannachi TUN
Assistant Referee 2: Mohamed Bakir TUN
Fourth Official: Amir Loucif TUN

Botswana – Algeria
Referee: Ahmed Arajiga TAN
Assistant Referee 1: Kassim Mpanga TAN
Assistant Referee 2: Hamdani Ally TAN
Fourth Official: Nasir Siyah TAN

Equatorial Guinea – Sao Tome and Principe
Referee: Adissa Ligali BEN
Assistant Referee 1: Gbemassiandan Kouton BEN
Assistant Referee 2: Lucien Hontonnou BEN
Fourth Official: Issa Mohamed BEN

Burkina Faso – Djibouti
Referee: Abdel Bouh MTN
Assistant Referee 1: Hamedine Diba MTN
Assistant Referee 2: Mohamed Yahia MTN
Fourth Official: Babacar Sarr MTN

Congo DR – South Sudan
Referee: Celso Alvacao MOZ
Assistant Referee 1: Arsenio Marengula MOZ
Assistant Referee 2: Ivanildo Lopes MOZ
Fourth Official: Ailton Carmelino MOZ

Rwanda – Nigeria
Referee: Jalal Jayed MAR
Assistant Referee 1: Mostafa Akarkad MAR
Assistant Referee 2: Hamza Nassiri MAR
Fourth Official: Mustapha Kechaf MAR

South Africa – Lesotho
Referee: Mohamed Guedi DJI
Assistant Referee 1: Liban Abdourazak DJI
Assistant Referee 2: Eleyeh Robleh DJI
Fourth Official: Mahmoud Nasser DJI

Ghana – Chad
Referee: Ahmed Abdulrazg LBY
Assistant Referee 1: Attia Amsaad LBY
Assistant Referee 2: Alayat Munji LBY
Fourth Official: Muhammad El-Mabrouk LBY

Burundi – Cote d’Ivoire
Referee: Samir Guezzaz MAR
Assistant Referee 1: Lahcen Azgaou MAR
Assistant Referee 2: Abdessamad Abertoune MAR
Fourth Official: Hamza El-Fariq MAR

Ethiopia – Egypt
Referee: Patrice Milazare MRI
Assistant Referee 1: Cauvelet Fabien MRI
Assistant Referee 2: Padayachy Shaji MRI
Fourth Official: Keren Yocette MRI

Guinea – Somalia
Referee: Andofetra Rakotojaona MAD
Assistant Referee 1: Souru Phatsoane LES
Assistant Referee 2: Dimbiniaina Andriatianarivelo MAD
Fourth Official: Lebalang Mokete LES

Niger – Morocco
Referee: Omar Artan SOM
Assistant Referee 1: Hamza Abdi SOM
Assistant Referee 2: Bashir Suleiman SOM
Fourth Official: Ahmed Hussein SOM

Togo – Mauritania
Referee: Amin Omar EGY
Assistant Referee 1: Mahmoud El-Regal EGY
Assistant Referee 2: Sami Halhal EGY
Fourth Official: Mahmoud El-Banna EGY

Sudan – Senegal
Referee: Patrice Mebiame GAB
Assistant Referee 1: Abelmiro Dos Reis STP
Assistant Referee 2: Urbain Ndong GAB
Fourth Official: Auladyo Dos Santos STP

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers – CONMEBOL (Matchday 13)

20-21 March 2025

Uruguay – Argentina
Referee: Juan Benitez PAR (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Eduardo Cardozo PAR
Assistant Referee 2: Milciades Saldivar PAR
Fourth Official: Carlos Benitez PAR
VAR: Derlis Lopez PAR
AVAR: Jose Cuevas PAR
Referee Assessor: Jose Buitrago COL
VAR Supervisor: Pericles Cortes BRA

Brazil – Colombia
Referee: Alexis Herrera VEN
Assistant Referee 1: Jorge Urrego VEN
Assistant Referee 2: Tulio Moreno VEN
Fourth Official: Angel Arteaga VEN
VAR: Juan Soto VEN
AVAR: Carlos Lopez VEN
Referee Assessor: Dario Ubriaco URU
VAR Supervisor: Patricio Polic CHI

Ecuador – Venezuela
Referee: Ramon Abatti BRA
Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Pires BRA
Assistant Referee 2: Rafael Alves BRA
Fourth Official: Rodrigo Pereira BRA
VAR: Rodolpho Toski BRA
AVAR: Rodrigo Guarizo BRA
Referee Assessor: Oscar Maldonado BOL
VAR Supervisor: Carlos Pastorino URU

Paraguay – Chile
Referee: Raphael Claus BRA
Assistant Referee 1: Danilo Manis BRA
Assistant Referee 2: Guilherme Camilo BRA
Fourth Official: Rafael Klein BRA
VAR: Daniel Nobre BRA
AVAR: Pablo Gonçalves BRA
Referee Assessor: Hector Baldassi ARG
VAR Supervisor: Cesar Escano PER

Peru – Bolivia
Referee: Yael Falcon ARG
Assistant Referee 1: Maximiliano Del Yesso ARG
Assistant Referee 2: Facundo Rodriguez ARG
Fourth Official: Leandro Rey ARG
VAR: German Delfino ARG
AVAR: Jorge Balino ARG
Referee Assessor: Oswaldo Segura ECU
VAR Supervisor: Wilson Lamouroux COL

UEFA Nations League 2024/2025 – Quarter-finals (First Leg)

20 March 2025

Italy – Germany
Referee: François Letexier FRA (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Cyril Mugnier FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Mehdi Rahmouni FRA
Fourth Official: Romain Lissorgue FRA
VAR: Jérôme Brisard FRA
AVAR: Bastien Dechepy FRA
Referee Observer: Konrad Plautz AUT

Netherlands – Spain
Referee: Glenn Nyberg SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Mahbod Beigi SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Andreas Söderkvist SWE
Fourth Official: Adam Ladebäck SWE
VAR: Christian Dingert GER
AVAR: Johann Pfeifer GER
Referee Observer: Emil Božinovski MKD

Croatia – France
Referee: Espen Eskas NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Engan NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Isaak Bashevkin NOR
Fourth Official: Rohit Saggi NOR
VAR: Bastian Dankert GER
AVAR: Robert Schröder GER
Referee Observer: Leslie Irvine NIR

Denmark – Portugal
Referee: Irfan Peljto BIH
Assistant Referee 1: Senad Ibrišimbegović BIH
Assistant Referee 2: Davor Beljo BIH
Fourth Official: Miloš Gigovic BIH
VAR: Pol van Boekel NED
AVAR: Richard Martens NED
Referee Observer: Kóstas Kapitanís CYP

UEFA Nations League 2024/2025 – Play-Offs (First Leg)

20 March 2025

Ukraine – Belgium
Referee: Sandro Schärer SUI (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Stéphane De Almeida SUI
Assistant Referee 2: Jonas Erni SUI
Fourth Official: Lionel Tschudi SUI
VAR: Fedayi San SUI
AVAR: Lukas Fähndrich SUI
Referee Observer: Pawel Gil POL

Turkey – Hungary
Referee: Ivan Kružliak SVK
Assistant Referee 1: Branislav Hancko SVK
Assistant Referee 2: Ján Pozor SVK
Fourth Official: Peter Královič SVK
VAR: Michal Očenáš SVK
AVAR: Martin Dohál SVK
Referee Observer: William Young SCO

Armenia – Georgia
Referee: Radu Petrescu ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Radu Ghinguleac ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Mircea Grigoriu ROU
Fourth Official: Andrei Chivulete ROU
VAR: Aleandro Di Paolo ITA
AVAR: Federico La Penna ITA
Referee Observer: Carlos Clos Gómez ESP

Austria – Serbia
Referee: Joao Pinheiro POR
Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Jesus POR
Assistant Referee 2: Luciano Maia POR
Fourth Official: Gustavo Correia POR
VAR: Tiago Martins POR
AVAR: Hélder Malheiro POR
Referee Observer: Karen Nalbandyan ARM

Greece – Scotland
Referee: Tobias Stieler GER
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Gittelmann GER
Assistant Referee 2: Mark Borsch GER
Fourth Official: Martin Petersen GER
VAR: Sören Storks GER
AVAR: Benjamin Cortus GER
Referee Observer: Jon Skjervold NOR

Kosovo – Iceland
Referee: Serdar Gözübüyük NED
Assistant Referee 1: Erwin Zeinstra NED
Assistant Referee 2: Patrick Inia NED
Fourth Official: Joey Kooij NED
VAR: Clay Ruperti NED
AVAR: Erwin Blank NED
Referee Observer: Vlado Svilokos CRO

Bulgaria – Ireland
Referee: Benoît Bastien FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Hicham Zakrani FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Aurélien Berthomieu FRA
Fourth Official: Éric Wattellier FRA
VAR: Benoît Millot FRA
AVAR: Jérémie Pignard FRA
Referee Observer: Stávros Tritsónis GRE

Slovakia – Slovenia
Referee: Maurizio Mariani ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Daniele Bindoni ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Alberto Tegoni ITA
Fourth Official: Gianluca Manganiello ITA
VAR: Marco Di Bello ITA
AVAR: Michael Fabbri ITA
Referee Observer: Marinus Koopman NED

Mateu Lahoz admits to error that cost Barcelona La Liga title in 2014

Former referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz has admitted that his controversial decision in the final match of the 2013-14 La Liga season cost Barcelona the title The Valencian official incorrectly ruled out a goal by Lionel Messi in a title-deciding contest against Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou, a mistake he now concedes was wrong. In May 2014, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid faced off in a title-deciding match at a packed Camp Nou. The Blaugrana, second in the table with 86 points, needed a win to become champions, while Atleti, sitting at the top on 89 points, only required a draw. Alexis Sanchez gave Barcelona the lead, but Diego Godin’s equaliser secured a 1-1 draw and handed the title to Los Rojiblancos. However, the game’s most decisive moment came in the 64th minute when Messi found the back of the net to make it 2-1 for Barcelona, only for it to be ruled out for offside. The pass to Messi had come from Dani Alves had come off a deflection from Atletico’s Juanfran, but Mateu Lahoz and his assistant believed it was from Cesc Fabregas, and flagged it for offside. Now, over a decade later, Lahoz, now a pundit for Movistar and COPE, admitted to his error. “I was wrong. Looking back, we now know the ball came off Juanfran,” he acknowledged, as quoted by SPORT. “Barcelona and Atletico arrived at the final match level on almost everything, and that one decision changed everything. From my position, I could not tell,” Lahoz admitted. “I would have bet my twenty fingers – hands and feet – that Cesc touched the ball. The assistant took responsibility, but ultimately, it was my decision.” Barcelona never recovered from that moment, and Atletico held on for the draw and lifted their first league title in 18 years. (Source: Barca News)

Former Sevilla delegate, Cristóbal Soria, has made some controversial statements about a very famous former referee: Antonio Mateu Lahoz. "When his European refereeing career ends, due to age, the CTA and RFEF have the power to allow him through an invitation to continue for as many years as he wants" as a referee in Spain. He continues for a first year, and the following year when RFEF and the CTA have the possibility to invite him again, to continue officiating for another year", a change occurs. Cristóbal Soria reveals "as information", how "members of the CTA go from Madrid to Valencia, to his hometown, and sit with him and invite him to leave refereeing". According to Cristóbal Soria, the CTA tells Mateu Lahoz that "we can't allow you to call, among other teams, Kroos by Toni, Modric by Luka, Courtois by Thibaut...". Essentially, the CTA wanted to prevent Mateu from "calling the Madrid players among other teams by their first names" because, according to Cristóbal Soria, Mateu Lahoz called "the players of Athletic Club de Bilbao, Sevilla, and Betis" by their jersey numbers... without even bothering to read the name printed on the jersey. That "information" from Cristóbal Soria, however, doesn't only apply to the white team as the Sevilla commentator points out. Because Antonio Mateu Lahoz became known for remembering the first names of many players he refereed throughout his career... including footballers from FC Barcelona like Messi. There are many images featuring the former Valencian referee in which he can be seen calling "Leo" to the former '10' of FC Barcelona. Be that as it may, it is not the last controversy in which the now former Valencian referee appears as a protagonist. His recent criticisms of the Spanish refereeing system, speaking bluntly about the 'Negreira case', have provoked an immediate reaction from the refereeing community through a striking statement. (Source: Confidencial)