UEFA Europa Conference League 2025/26 – Third Qualifying Round (First Leg)

5 August 2025

KI Klaksvik – Niomen Hrodna
Referee: Claudio Pereira POR (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Pedro Martins POR
Assistant Referee 2: Pedro Ribeiro POR
Fourth Official: Bruno José Costa POR
VAR: Hélder Malheiro POR
AVAR: Hélder Carvalho POR
Referee Observer: Kristinn Jakobsson ISL

7 August 2025
Milsami Orhei – Virtus AC
Referee: Edgars Maļcevs LVA
Assistant Referee 1: Martinš Svipsts LVA
Assistant Referee 2: Deniss Ševčenko LVA
Fourth Official: Aleksandrs Anufrijevs LVA
VAR: Andris Treimanis LVA
AVAR: Sergejs Vasjkovs LVA
Referee Observer: Robert Schörgenhofer AUT

Aris Limassol – AEK Athens
Referee: Goga Kikacheishvili GEO
Assistant Referee 1: Davit Akhvlediani GEO
Assistant Referee 2: Davit Gabisonia GEO
Fourth Official: Bakari Bregadze GEO
VAR: Sascha Stegemann GER
AVAR: Aleko Aptsiauri GEO
Referee Observer: Rusmir Mrković BIH

Araz Naxcivan – Omonia Nicosia
Referee: Ondřej Berka CZE
Assistant Referee 1: Ivo Nádvorník CZE
Assistant Referee 2: Jan Váňa CZE
Fourth Official: Ondřej Pechanec CZE
VAR: Tomáš Kocourek CZE
AVAR: Miroslav Zelinka CZE
Referee Observer: Nenad Djokić SRB

Rosenborg BK – Hammarby FC
Referee: Zorbay Küçük TUR
Assistant Referee 1: Deniz Özaral TUR
Assistant Referee 2: Furkan Ürün TUR
Fourth Official: Ömer Turtay TUR
VAR: Onur Özütoprak TUR
AVAR: Davut Çelik TUR
Referee Observer: Helmut Fleischer GER

Kauno Zalgiris – Arda Kardzhali
Referee: Jérémy Muller LUX
Assistant Referee 1: Rafael Morim LUX
Assistant Referee 2: Dani Balsa LUX
Fourth Official: Cédric Biever LUX
VAR: Christian Ciochirca AUT
AVAR: Harald Lechner AUT
Referee Observer: Andrew Davey NIR

Banik Ostrava – Austria Wien
Referee: Mohammed Al-Hakim SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Mehmet Culum SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Fredrik Klyver SWE
Fourth Official: Granit Maqedonci SWE
VAR: Tamás Bognár HUN
AVAR: Ferenc Karakó HUN
Referee Observer: Volodymyr Petrov UKR

Riga FC – Beitar Jerusalem
Referee: Lionel Tschudi SUI
Assistant Referee 1: Bastien Lengacher SUI
Assistant Referee 2: Nicolas Tuberosa SUI
Fourth Official: Mirel Turkes SUI
VAR: Lukas Fähndrich SUI
AVAR: Michèle Schmölzer SUI
Referee Observer: Stephen Tanner ENG

Viking FK – Basaksehir FK
Referee: Miguel Nogueira POR
Assistant Referee 1: Paulo Brás POR
Assistant Referee 2: Nélson Pereira POR
Fourth Official: Sérgio Guelho POR
VAR: Fábio Melo POR
AVAR: Iancu Vasilica POR
Referee Observer: Vadims Direktorenko LVA

AIK Stockholm – ETO Gyor
Referee: Daniel Schlager GER
Assistant Referee 1: Sven Waschitzki GER
Assistant Referee 2: Robert Wessel GER
Fourth Official: Robin Braun GER
VAR: Katrin Rafalski GER
AVAR: Patrick Hanslbauer GER
Referee Observer: Goran Mihaljević MNE

Silkeborg IF – Jagiellonia Bialystok
Referee: James Robinson NIR
Assistant Referee 1: Andrew Nethery NIR
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Jeffrey NIR
Fourth Official: Ben McMaster NIR
VAR: Darren England ENG
AVAR: Nick Hopton ENG
Referee Observer: Luc Wouters BEL

Olimpija Ljubljana – KF Egnatia
Referee: John Beaton SCO
Assistant Referee 1: David McGeachie SCO
Assistant Referee 2: Graeme Stewart SCO
Fourth Official: Calum Scott SCO
VAR: Donald Robertson SCO
AVAR: Ryan Lee SCO
Referee Observer: René Temmink NED

FC Deifferdeng – Levadia Tallinn
Referee: Alessandro Dudic SUI
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Müller SUI
Assistant Referee 2: Guillaume Maire SUI
Fourth Official: Anojen Kanagasingam SUI
VAR: Sven Wolfensberger SUI
AVAR: Nico Gianforte SUI
Referee Observer: Carlos Clos Gómez ESP

Vikingur – Linfield
Referee: Luka Bilbija BIH
Assistant Referee 1: Amer Macić BIH
Assistant Referee 2: Damir Lazić BIH
Fourth Official: Dragan Petrović BIH
VAR: Antoni Bandić BIH
AVAR: Dragan Kesić BIH
Referee Observer: László Vágner HUN

Sparta Praha – Ararat Armenia
Referee: Matthew MacDermid SCO
Assistant Referee 1: Douglas Potter SCO
Assistant Referee 2: Christopher Rae SCO
Fourth Official: Christopher Graham SCO
VAR: Nicholas Walsh SCO
AVAR: Grant Irvine SCO
Referee Observer: Ruud Bossen NED

AZ Alkmaar – FC Vaduz
Referee: Bastien Dechepy FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Aurélien Drouet FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Cyril Mugnier FRA
Fourth Official: Romain Lissorgue FRA
VAR: Benoît Millot FRA
AVAR: Marc Bollengier FRA
Referee Observer: Hannes Kaasik EST

RSC Anderlecht – Sheriff Tiraspol
Referee: Nenad Minaković SRB
Assistant Referee 1: Nikola Borović SRB
Assistant Referee 2: Boško Božović SRB
Fourth Official: Milan Mitić SRB
VAR: Matej Jug SVN
AVAR: Roberto Ponis SVN
Referee Observer: Lucílio Batista POR

FK Polissya – Paksi FC
Referee: Joakim Östling SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Max Wilde SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Simon Kristensson SWE
Fourth Official: Adi Aganovic SWE
VAR: Manuel Schüttengruber AUT
AVAR: Alexander Harkam AUT
Referee Observer: Ognjen Valjić BIH

Levski Sofia – Sabah FK
Referee: Duje Strukan CRO
Assistant Referee 1: Alen Jakšić CRO
Assistant Referee 2: Marjan Tomas CRO
Fourth Official: Ante Terzić CRO
VAR: Mario Zebec CRO
AVAR: Ante Čuljak CRO
Referee Observer: Joeri Van De Velde BEL

FC Lausanne – Astana FK
Referee: Lukasz Kuźma POL
Assistant Referee 1: Jakub Winkler POL
Assistant Referee 2: Piotr Podbielski POL
Fourth Official: Damian Kos POL
VAR: Pawel Malec POL
AVAR: Piotr Urban POL
Referee Observer: Cüneyt Çakir TUR

FC Lugano – NK Celje
Referee: Sander van der Eijk NED
Assistant Referee 1: Rens Bluemink NED
Assistant Referee 2: Stefan de Groot NED
Fourth Official: Robin Hensgens NED
VAR: Jeroen Manschot NED
AVAR: Edwin van de Graaf NED
Referee Observer: Martin Atkinson ENG

FC Ballkani – Shamrock Rovers
Referee: Dmytro Panchyshyn UKR
Assistant Referee 1: Oleksiy Myronov UKR
Assistant Referee 2: Volodymyr Vysotskyy UKR
Fourth Official: Klym Zabroda UKR
VAR: Mykola Balakin UKR
AVAR: Denys Shurman UKR
Referee Observer: Emil Laursen DEN

Universitatea Craiova – Spartak Trnava
Referee: Joonas Jaanovits EST
Assistant Referee 1: Aron Härsing EST
Assistant Referee 2: Jaan Roos EST
Fourth Official: Tanel Üprus EST
VAR: István Vad HUN
AVAR: Marko Liiva EST
Referee Observer: Herbert Fandel GER

Vikingur Reykjavik – Brondby IF
Referee: Atilla Karaoglan TUR
Assistant Referee 1: Ceyhun Sesigüzel TUR
Assistant Referee 2: Abdullah Özkara TUR
Fourth Official: Ozan Ergün TUR
VAR: Erkan Engin TUR
AVAR: Adnan Kayatepe TUR
Referee Observer: Stanislav Todorov BUL

St. Patrick AFC – Besiktas JK
Referee: David Šmajc SVN
Assistant Referee 1: David Gabrovec SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Tomaž Černe SVN
Fourth Official: Mihael Antič SVN
VAR: Asmir Sagrković SVN
AVAR: Denis Šabanagić SVN
Referee Observer: Gylfi Orrason ISL

Rapid Wien – Dundee United
Referee: Luís Godinho POR
Assistant Referee 1: Pedro Mota POR
Assistant Referee 2: Gonçalo Freire POR
Fourth Official: Anzhony Rodrigues POR
VAR: André Narciso POR
AVAR: Ricardo Baixinho POR
Referee Observer: Marco Borg MLT

Hajduk Split – Dinamo City
Referee: Saiat Qarabaev KAZ
Assistant Referee 1: Dmitrii Belogradov KAZ
Assistant Referee 2: Aleksei Dolgih KAZ
Fourth Official: Säken Baiymbet KAZ
VAR: Richard Martens NED
AVAR: Aidyn Tasybaev KAZ
Referee Observer: Stávros Mántalos GRE

Larne FC – Santa Clara
Referee: Adam Ladebäck SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Niklas Nyberg SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel Yng SWE
Fourth Official: Victor Wolf SWE
VAR: Jakob Kehlet DEN
AVAR: Jens Maae DEN
Referee Observer: Michaíl Argyroú CYP

Rakow Czestochowa – Maccabi Haifa
Referee: Robert Harvey IRL
Assistant Referee 1: Wayne McDonnell IRL
Assistant Referee 2: Robert Clarke IRL
Fourth Official: Paul Norton IRL
VAR: John Brooks ENG
AVAR: Lee Betts ENG
Referee Observer: Sven Bindels LUX

Partizan FK – Hibernian FC
Referee: Philip Farrugia MLT
Assistant Referee 1: Duncan Sultana MLT
Assistant Referee 2: James Muscat MLT
Fourth Official: Ishmael Barbara MLT
VAR: Christopher Kavanagh ENG
AVAR: Ian Hussin ENG
Referee Observer: Thomas Einwaller AUT

UEFA Europa League 2025/26 – Third Qualifying Round (First Leg)

5 August 2025

Hamrun Spartans – Maccabi Tel Aviv
Referee: Kristo Tohver EST (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Silver Koiv EST
Assistant Referee 2: Sander Saga EST
Fourth Official: Kevin Kaivoja EST
VAR: Alan Kijas AUT
AVAR: Josef Spurny AUT
Referee Observer: Pawel Gil POL

6 August 2025
FK RFS – Kups Kuopio
Referee: Aliyar Aghayev AZE
Assistant Referee 1: Zeynal Zeynalov AZE
Assistant Referee 2: Akif Amirali AZE
Fourth Official: Kamal Umudlu AZE
VAR: Michael Salisbury ENG
AVAR: Inqilab Mammadov AZE
Referee Observer: Sokol Jareci ALB

HNK Rijeka – Shelbourne FC
Referee: Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Iker de Francisco Grijalba ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Asier González de Durana ESP
Fourth Official: Adrián Cordero Vega ESP
VAR: Valentín Pizarro Gómez ESP
AVAR: Javier Iglesias Villanueva ESP
Referee Observer: Andreas Schluchter SUI

7 August 2025
Lincoln Red Imps – Noa FA
Referee: Filip Glova SVK
Assistant Referee 1: Daniel Poláček SVK
Assistant Referee 2: Peter Bednár SVK
Fourth Official: Lukáš Dzivjak SVK
VAR: Martin Dohál SVK
AVAR: Erik Gemzicky SVK
Referee Observer: João Ferreira POR

Fredrikstad FK – FC Midtjylland
Referee: Igor Pajač CRO
Assistant Referee 1: Bojan Zobenica CRO
Assistant Referee 2: Ivan Mihalj CRO
Fourth Official: Zdenko Lovrić CRO
VAR: Ivan Bebek CRO
AVAR: Fran Jović CRO
Referee Observer: Barış Şimşek TUR

AEK Larnaca – Legia Warszawa
Referee: Horațiu Feșnic ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Valentin Avram ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Ioan Corb ROU
Fourth Official: Szabolcs Kovacs ROU
VAR: Ovidiu Hațegan ROU
AVAR: Cristina Trandafir ROU
Referee Observer: Gediminas Mažeika LTU

BK Hacken – SK Brann
Referee: Georgi Kabakov BUL
Assistant Referee 1: Martin Margaritov BUL
Assistant Referee 2: Martin Venev BUL
Fourth Official: Mariyan Grebencharski BUL
VAR: Dragomir Draganov BUL
AVAR: Vasimir El-Hatib BUL
Referee Observer: Edward Foley IRL

CFR Cluj – SC Braga
Referee: Elçin Masiyev AZE
Assistant Referee 1: Elşad Abdullayev AZE
Assistant Referee 2: Parvin Talibov AZE
Fourth Official: Farid Haciyev AZE
VAR: César Soto Grado ESP
AVAR: Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz ESP
Referee Observer: Dejan Filipović SRB

PAOK Salonic – Wolfsberger AC
Referee: Morten Krogh DEN
Assistant Referee 1: Dennis Rasmussen DEN
Assistant Referee 2: Steffen Bramsen DEN
Fourth Official: Jacob Karlsen DEN
VAR: Jonas Hansen DEN
AVAR: Sandi Putros DEN
Referee Observer: Levan Paniashvili GEO

Zrinjski Mostar – Breidablik
Referee: Enea Jorgji ALB
Assistant Referee 1: Denis Rexha ALB
Assistant Referee 2: Ridiger Çokaj ALB
Fourth Official: Olsid Ferataj ALB
VAR: Stuart Attwell ENG
AVAR: Albert Doda ALB
Referee Observer: Stefan Johannesson SWE

Panathinaikos – Shakhtar Donetsk
Referee: Erik Lambrechts BEL
Assistant Referee 1: Jo De Weirdt BEL
Assistant Referee 2: Kevin Monteny BEL
Fourth Official: Nathan Verboomen BEL
VAR: Clay Ruperti NED
AVAR: Bert Put BEL
Referee Observer: Vlado Svilokos CRO

FCSB – Drita
Referee: Damian Sylwestrzak POL
Assistant Referee 1: Pawel Sokolnicki POL
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Karasewicz POL
Fourth Official: Marcin Kochanek POL
VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
AVAR: Kornel Paszkiewicz POL
Referee Observer: Pascal Garibian FRA

Servette – Utrecht
Referee: Harm Osmers GER
Assistant Referee 1: Dominik Schaal GER
Assistant Referee 2: Christian Gittelmann GER
Fourth Official: Tobias Reichel GER
VAR: Sören Storks GER
AVAR: Benjamin Cortus GER
Referee Observer: Ichko Lozev BUL

UEFA Champions League 2025/26 – Third Qualifying Round (First Leg)

5 August 2025

Malmo FF – FC Copenhagen
Referee: João Pinheiro POR (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Jesus POR
Assistant Referee 2: Luciano Maia POR
Fourth Official: Fábio Veríssimo POR
VAR: Tiago Martins POR
AVAR: Bruno Esteves POR
Referee Observer: Terje Hauge NOR

Dynamo Kyyiv – Pafos FC
Referee: Sandro Schärer SUI
Assistant Referee 1: Jonas Erni SUI
Assistant Referee 2: Susanne Küng SUI
Fourth Official: Urs Schnyder SUI
VAR: Fedayi San SUI
AVAR: Johannes von Mandach SUI
Referee Observer: Alexandru Deaconu ROU

KF Shkendija – Qarabag FK
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: Boris Marhefka SVK
Referee Observer: Michael Riley ENG

Rangers FC – Viktoria Plzen
Referee: Clément Turpin FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Erwan Finjean FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Aurélien Berthomieu FRA
Fourth Official: Mathieu Vernice FRA
VAR: Willy Delajod FRA
AVAR: Nicolas Rainville FRA
Referee Observer: Martin Ingvarsson SWE

6 August 2025
Qairat FK – Slovan Bratislava
Referee: Serdar Gözübüyük NED
Assistant Referee 1: Erwin Zeinstra NED
Assistant Referee 2: Patrick Inia NED
Fourth Official: Jannick van der Laan NED
VAR: Pol van Boekel NED
AVAR: Erwin Blank NED
Referee Observer: Stefan Messner AUT

FC Salzburg – Club Brugge
Referee: Srdjan Jovanović SRB
Assistant Referee 1: Uroš Stojković SRB
Assistant Referee 2: Milan Mihajlović SRB
Fourth Official: Novak Simović SRB
VAR: Momčilo Marković SRB
AVAR: Jelena Cvetković SRB
Referee Observer: Tomasz Mikulski POL

PFK Ludogorets – Ferencvarosi TC
Referee: Espen Eskas NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Erik Engan NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Anders Dale NOR
Fourth Official: Sigurd Kringstad NOR
VAR: Dennis Higler NED
AVAR: Mohammad Aslam NOR
Referee Observer: Darko Čeferin SVN

Lech Poznan – Crvena Zvezda
Referee: Tobias Stieler GER
Assistant Referee 1: Eduard Beitinger GER
Assistant Referee 2: Mark Borsch GER
Fourth Official: Matthias Jöllenbeck GER
VAR: Christian Dingert GER
AVAR: Johann Pfeifer GER
Referee Observer: Marinus Koopman NED

OGC Nice – SL Benfica
Referee: Michael Oliver ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Daniel Cook ENG
Assistant Referee 2: James Mainwaring ENG
Fourth Official: Robert Jones ENG
VAR: Jarred Gillett ENG
AVAR: Peter Bankes ENG
Referee Observer: Alberto Undiano Mallenco ESP

Feyenoord – Fenerbahce
Referee: Glenn Nyberg SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Mahbod Beigi SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Andreas Söderkvist SWE
Fourth Official: Oscar Johnson SWE
VAR: Carlos Del Cerro Grande ESP
AVAR: Juan Martínez Munuera ESP 

Referee Observer: Knut Kircher GER

Mexican FIFA referee Garcia received death threats after Leagues Cup match

FIFA and CONCACAF are among the organizations to offer messages of support to Katia Itzel Garcia after the referee was the subject of death threats this week. Garcia was the subject of harassment following last week's Leagues Cup match between Monterrey and FC Cincinnati, which ended as a 3-2 win for the MLS side. The game featured a controversial offside call, one which ultimately led to a Cincinnati goal following a VAR review. In the days following the match, the 32-year-old official publicly shared messages she'd received from a fan. In those messages, the fan threatened to kill Garcia and her entire family. Garcia shared those messages on Instagram, prompting a wave of support from organizations worldwide. In her social media post, Garcia revealed messages she received on Instagram, reading: "You're going to die... We're the ones in charge in Mexico, so don't hide too much... There's no date that's unfulfilled, no word that's unfulfilled." Another read: “We’re going to kill your entire family.” Garcia responded with a message via her own Instagram story. "In Mexico, a country where 10 women are murdered every day, where 91 people are murdered every day (men and women), we cannot normalize violence," she said. "I totally reject violence in all spaces!"

In the days following the incident, Katia Itzel Garcia has received strong backing from FIFA, CONCACAF, the Mexican Football Federation (FMF), and her domestic league club, Monterrey. Each organization condemned the threats made against her and reaffirmed their commitment to protecting referees and combating violence in the sport. FIFA president Gianni Infantino issued a statement emphasizing the importance of respecting referees. “Without referees there is no soccer, so we must protect them and respect their role in our sport," Infantino said Monday. "In football and in society, there is no room for abuse, discrimination or violence of any kind. At FIFA, we stand in solidarity with the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol and CONCACAF to condemn the actions of those who make these unacceptable threats. We offer our unconditional support so that those responsible are accountable.” Monterrey also publicly denounced the threats and called for a broader cultural shift. “The aggressions, such as those recently denounced by the Mexican referee Katia Itzel Garcia and any other type of manifestation of violence, are inadmissible and we must all make them visible, denounce them, reject them and avoid normalizing them,” the club said. The FMF echoed those sentiments in a formal statement of support. “The Mexican Football Federation (FMF), through the Referee Committee, strongly condemns the acts of intimidation and threats directed against the FIFA referee Katia Itzel Garcia, and expresses its full support for the statements and public expressions made by her,” the federation stated. “The Federation will advise and accompany Garcia in the complaint process before the corresponding authorities. Likewise, the FMF is in permanent communication with CONCACAF as well as with the Organizing Committee of Leagues Cup with the sole objective of guaranteeing the integrity and safety of Garcia and all the referees in the tournament.”

Source: Yahoo

AI will count 30% in the evaluation of Spanish referees

This upcoming season, set to begin in just 11 days, brings a major technological development that marks a departure from previous years. The key innovation is the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the evaluation of referees' performances in both the First and Second Divisions. This AI system will play a role in weekly referee assignments as well as in the final rankings of referees for promotion and relegation decisions.

According to information obtained by Mundo Deportivo, the new Referees’ Technical Committee (CTA), headed by Fran Soto, has already informed referees, assistant referees, and other officials about this change during the preseason training camp that began seven days ago in Las Caldas, Asturias. The message has also been conveyed to the match observers - officials historically responsible for evaluating referees’ performances - during a dedicated meeting ahead of the new season. Initially, AI will contribute 30% to the overall assessment of referee performances, with a particular focus on two key areas: fouls and yellow cards. It remains to be seen whether this percentage will remain fixed or increase as the season progresses. The CTA, RFEF, and LaLiga have established an Expert Committee to oversee the implementation of AI in officiating this season. These experts will have advisory roles, as they do not hold voting power under the new officiating regulations. As Mundo Deportivo previously reported, coach José Ángel ‘Cuco’ Ziganda was the latest addition to this committee, which also includes Sevilla FC as a club representative, former player Álvaro Negredo, and three former referees: Gregorio Bernabé, José Luis Lesma, and Marcos Álvarez. This finalized committee will work alongside LaLiga and the CTA’s Technical Commission using LaLiga’s AI tools. Together, they will be responsible for setting the criteria and parameters for evaluating referees' performances in conjunction with the reports from the match delegates. Although the committee has not yet held its first official meeting, it will begin its work with the AI’s contribution accounting for 30% of the overall referee assessment.

Source: Mundo Deportivo

Top Vietnamese referee passes away after fitness test collapse

Vietnamese top division referee Tran Dinh Thịnh has passed away after collapsing during a fitness test on Sunday morning. He died this morning at a hospital in Hanoi, after undergoing nearly a day of treatment following his fainting during the fitness assessment in the capital city. The unfortunate incident occurred during a pre-season training session for referees organised by the VFF. The fitness test was conducted early in the morning to minimise the adverse effects of the hot weather, but Thịnh exhibited unusual symptoms, officials said. The medical team promptly implemented intensive resuscitation measures for circulation and respiration and transported him to the hospital's emergency department. Despite the doctors' best efforts, Thịnh could not be saved.

Born in 1982, Thinh was an experienced referee in V-League 1. He won the 'Bronze Whistle' award in the 2023-2024 season and the 'Silver Whistle' in the 2024-2025 season, awards that honour referees for outstanding performances in professional leagues. The fitness test during which Thinh collapsed was part of a mandatory pre-season training programme designed to assess the referees' abilities to fulfil their duties. In addition to his case requiring emergency care, six other referees did not pass the tests. General Secretary of the VFF Nguyen Van Phu said: "This is a significant loss for Vietnamese football, especially for the national refereeing team. Referee Thịnh was not only a dedicated and professional official, but also well respected and cherished by all his colleagues. His departure leaves a profound void and an indescribable pain. On behalf of the VFF and the training programme organising committee, I extend my deepest condolences to the family, loved ones and colleagues of referee Thịnh." The VFF and Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company have expressed their deepest condolences to the family of referee Thịnh and will assist in arranging the funeral as a tribute to his contributions to the sport in the country.

Source: Vietnam News

CAF African Nations Championship 2024

Kenya/Tanzania/Uganda, 2-30 August 2025

Referees

1. Lotfi Bekouassa (ALG, photo)

2. Ligali Adissa (BEN)
3. Vincent Kabore (BFA)
4. Jessie Messie (CGO)
5. Clement Kpan (CIV)
6. Yannick Kabanga (COD)
7. Mahmoud Ahmed (EGY)
8. Teklu Tsegai (ERI)
9. Lamin Jammeh (GAM)
10. Mimisa Nyagrowa (KEN)
11. Ahmed Abdulrazg (LBY)
12. Andofetra Rakotojaona (MAD)
13. Ousmane Diakhate (MLI)
14. Patrice Milazare (MRI)
15. Abdel Mefire (CMR)
16. Abiola Abdulsalam (NIG)
17. Adalbert Diouf (SEN)
18. Alfred Jelly (RSA)
19. Arajiga Ahmed (TAN)
20. Gnama Aklesso (TOG)
21. Mehrez Melki (TUN)
22. Lucky Razake (UGA)
23. Bouchra Karboubi (MAR)
24. Shamirah Nabadda (UGA)
25. Mustapha Kech (MAR)
26. Houssam Benyahya (ALG)

Assistant Referees
1. Adel Abane (ALG)
2. Guilain Ngila (CGO)
3. Lucky Kegalogetswe (BOT)
4. Habib Sanou (BFA)
5. Emery Niyongabo (BDI)
6. Menye Rodrigue (CMR)
7. Soulaimane Amaldine (COM)
8. Chany Malondi (CGO)
9. Biru Fasika (ETH)
10. Abdul Jawo (GAM)
11. Roland Addy (GHA)
12. Samuel Mwangi (KEN)
13. Joel Wonka (LBR)
14. Alao Salim (BEN)
15. Hamza Nassiri (MAR)
16. Abdoul Yacouba (NIG)
17. Mutuyimana Dieudonne (RWA)
18. Ahmed Omer (SDN)
19. Said Hamdani (TAN)
20. Hanachi Wael (TUN)
21. Katenya Roland (UGA)
22. Eleyeh Robleh (DJI)
23. Ettien Medard (CIV)
24. Amos Abeigne (GAB)
25. Sirak Samuel (ERU)
26. Diana Chikotesha (ZAM)

Video Match Officials
1. Mahmoud Ashour (EGY)
2. Dahane Beida (MTN)
3. Lahlou Benbraham (ALG)
4. Bamlak Tessema (ETH)
5. Samir Guezzaz (MAR)
6. Hamza El-Fariq (MAR)
7. Issa Sy (SEN)
8. Pierre Atcho (GAB)
9. Daniel Laryea (GHA)
10. Abongile Tom (RSA)
11. Yasir Abdalaziz (SDN)
12. Lettitia Viana (ESW)
13. Maria Rivet (MRI)
14. Akhona Makalima (RSA)
15. Stephen Yiembe (KEN)
16. Carine Atezambong (CMR)
17. Fatiha Jermoumi (MAR)
18. Mustapha Ghorbal (ALG)

Referee Instructors
1. Mohammed Guezzaz (MAR)
2. Janny Sikazwe (ZAM)
3. Evarist Menkouande (CMR)
4. Mohamed Ali (DJI) 

5. Boubaker Hannachi (TUN)

CONMEBOL Women’s Copa America Final 2025: Rissios (CHI)

2 August 2025

Final
Colombia – Brazil
Referee: Dione Rissios CHI (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Marcia Castillo CHI
Assistant Referee 2: Leslie Vasquez CHI
Fourth Official: Anahi Fernandez URU
Reserve AR: Daiana Fernandez URU
VAR: Augusto Menendez PER
AVAR: Wilma Balderrama BOL

Match for Third Place
Argentina – Uruguay
Referee: Emikar Calderas VEN
Assistant Referee 1: Migdalia Rodriguez VEN
Assistant Referee 2: Francis García VEN
Fourth Official: Marcelly Zambrano ECU
Reserve AR: Viviana Segura ECU
VAR: Milagros Arruela PER 

AVAR: Mariana Aquino PER