The UEFA Referees Committee approved the referee categories for the second half of the season 2025/2026. The changes will take effect on 1 January 2026.
Men
Demoted from Elite to First Category: Anastasios Sidiropoulos (GRE, 1979).
Promoted from First Category to Elite: Erik Lambrechts (BEL, 1984), Christopher Kavanagh (ENG, 1985), Sven Jablonski (GER, 1990), Donatas Rumšas (LTU, 1988), Nicolas Walsh (SCO, 1990), Rade Obrenović (SVN, 1990).
Retired from First Category: John Beaton (SCO), Matej Jug (SVN).
Demoted from First Category to Second Category: Duje Strukan (CRO), Filip Glova (SVK).
Promoted from Second Category to First Category: Jasper Vergoote (BEL, 1992), Radoslav Gidzhenov (BUL, 1991), Patrik Kolarić (CRO, 1995), Javier Alberola Rojas (ESP, 1991), Jérémie Pignard (FRA, 1987), Daniel Schlager (GER, 1989), Robert Hennessy (IRL, 1990), Andrea Colombo (ITA, 1990), Edgars Malcevs (LVA, 1992), Ishmael Barbara (MLT, 1993), Miloš Milanović (SRB, 1993), Michal Očenaš (SVK, 1991), Martin Matoša (SVN, 1995), Oleksii Derevinskiy (UKR, 1989).
Retired/removed from Second Category: Zaven Hovhannisyan (ARM), Alan Kijas (AUT), Dzmitry Dzmitryieu (BLR), Dragomir Draganov (BUL), Nikola Popov (BUL), Chrysovalantis Theouli (CYP), Ladislav Szikszay (CZE), Mads-Kristoffer Kristoffersen (DEN), Cesar Soto Grado (ESP), Robert Schroder (GER), Paul McLaughlin (IRL), Fabio Maresca (ITA), Rustam Omarov (KAZ), Robertas Valikonis (LTU), Ivo Torres (LUX), Jovan Kachevski (MKD), Trustin Farrugia Cann (MLT), Dennis Higler (NED), Kristoffer Hagenes (NOR), Fabio Verissimo (POR), Artem Liubimov (RUS), Vitali Meshkov (RUS), Pavel Shadykhanov (RUS), Lionel Tschudi (SUI), Martin Dohal (SVK), Peter Kralovic (SVK), Arda Kardesler (TUR), Zorbay Küçük (TUR).
New FIFA referees entered into Second Category: Andres Vilanova (AND), Yura Mahtesyan (ARM), Arnes Talic (AUT), Tural Kurbanov (AZE), Ihar Shumilau (BLR), Vasil Minev (BUL), Martin Velikov (BUL), Ioannis Christodoulou (CYP), Jan Všetečka (CZE), Lasse Graagaard (DEN), Mateo Busquets Ferrer (ESP), Benjamin Brand (GER), Fotios Polychronis (GRE), Aaron O'Dowd (IRL), Luca Zufferli (ITA), Arman Ismuratov (KAZ), Vilius Paulauskas (LTU), Dovydas Švegžda (LTU), Loic Thomas (LUX), Kristaps Ratnieks (LVA), Stojancho Trpchevski (MKD), Robin Hensgens (NED), Mathias Stofringshaug (NOR), David Silva (POR), Egor Egorov (RUS), Rafael Shafeev (RUS), Aleksei Sukhoi (RUS), Ryan Lee (SCO), Duncan Nicolson (SCO), Anojen Kanagasingam (SUI), Lukaš Dzivjak (SVK), Balint Kišš (SVK), Mateo Tozan (SVN), Cihan Aydin (TUR), Ozan Ergün (TUR).
Women
Retired from Elite: Jana Adamkova (CZE, 1978), Riem Hussein (GER, 1980), Sandra Bastos (POR, 1978),
Promoted from First Category to Elite: Emanuela Rusta (ALB, 1993).
Retired from First Category: Lucie Sulcova (CZE), Ainara Acevedo Dudley (ESP).
Demoted from First Category to Second Category: Lorraine Watson (SCO).
Promoted from Second Category to First Category: Emily Heaslip (ENG, 1993), Eugenia Gil Soriano (ESP, 1996), Anastasia Mylopoulou (GRE, 1991), Martina Molinaro (ITA, 1994), Tatyana Sorokopudova (KAZ, 1990), Karoline Jensen (NOR, 1993), Filipa Cunha (POR, 1992), Milica Milovanović (SRB, 1997), Vanja Janković (SVN, 1995), Gamze Durmuş (TUR, 1994), Sofiya Prychyna (UKR, 1998).
Retired/removed from Second Category: Kathrin Huber (AUT), Marina Zechner (AUS), Mzevinari Sharashanidze (GEO), Jurgita Macikunyte (LTU), Tatjana Lavrentika (LVA), Cansu Tiryaki (TUR), Anastasiya Romanyuk (UKR).
New FIFA referees entered into Second Category: Lena Hirtl (AUT), Fabienne Hofer (AUT), Senida Petak (BIH), Natalie Čampišova (CZE), Monika Hausnerova (CZE), Paola Cebollada Lopez (ESP), Tamta Shengelia (GEO), Davina Lutz (GER), Claire Purcell (IRL), Ilona Birglait (LTU), Manon Plandsoen (NED), Ana Morgado (POR), Maria Paiva (POR), Nadine Reichmuth (SUI), Petra Vajdeckova (SVK), Veronika Vasilchenko (UKR).
Futsal
Retired/removed from Elite: David Nissen (DEN, 1986), Miguel Castilho (POR, 1981), Kamil Cetin (TUR, 1984).
Demoted from Elite to First Category: Vedran Babic (CRO).
Promoted from First Category to Elite: Dino Kramar (CRO), George Jansizian (SWE).
Retired/removed from First Category: Dario Pezzuto (ITA), Ibrahim El Jilali (NED), Admir Zahovic (SVN).
Promoted from Second Category to First Category: Daniel Stauber (AUT), Paavo Kompaa (FIN), Martina Piccolo (ITA), Giovanni Zannola (ITA), Liviu Chita (ROU), Kastriot Gerxhaliu (SWE), Yevhen Hordiienko (UKR).
Retired/removed from Second Category: Gevorg Yeghoyan (ARM), Filip Nesnera (CZE), Daniel Sorensen (DEN), Zviad Bliadze (GEO), Jacob Pawlowski (GER), Mantas Pomeckis (LTU), Slawomir Steczko (POL), Vitali Groshev (RUS), Ilya Pogonin (RUS), Doroteja Music (SVN), Sviatoslav Kliuchnyk (UKR).
New FIFA referees entered into Second Category: Albano Stolaj (ALB), Tiran Yeritsyan (ARM), Njegos Vucanovic (AUT), Ena Dulić (BIH), Nina Nakic (CRO), Luboš Rygl (CZE), Jonas Rossen (DEN), Esther Perry (ENG), Richard Toom (EST), Janne Määttänen (FIN), Grigol Bliadze (GEO), Maximilian Lüders (GER), Florian Schreiber (GER), Glen Geraghty (IRL), Antonio Dimundo (ITA), Kevin Drungilas (LTU), Aleksandar Uroshevikj (MKD), Dyon Koene (NED), Vilde Stenseth (NOR), Barbara Mrozek (POL), Kamil Szczolko (POL), Joao Sinval (POR), Jose Moreira (POR), Ruslan Bagirov (RUS), Duncan McLullich (SCO), Alen Božič (SVN), Furkan Saglam (TUR), Andrii Kuzmin (UKR).
