FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2026 – Match 1 (African-Asian-Pacific Cup Play-Off)

September 2026

Al Ahli – Auckland City

Referee: Amin Omar EGY (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Mahmoud El-Regal EGY
Assistant Referee 2: Ahmed Hossam EGY
Fourth Official: Mahmoud Nagy EGY
VAR: Mahmoud Ashour EGY
AVAR: Tarek Magdy EGY

IFAB: “Mistaken identity” does not include simulation despite World Cup decisions

The International Football Association Board (IFAB), which determines the laws of the game, clarified that mistaken identity can only be used to identify the player who committed an offence rather than the offence itself being reviewed or changed, as in instances of player simulation. They added that the use of the mistaken identity clause going forward was subject to a review of the VAR protocol at the World Cup. This summer’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico had seen a number of new laws introduced, with the video assistant referees (VAR) given extended powers to intervene. Among the changes was VAR’s ability to step in the cases of mistaken identity on yellow and red cards. The rules of IFAB said ahead of the tournament that the VAR, who has independent access to match footage, may assist the on-field referee in the event of a ‘clear and obvious error’ or ‘serious missed incident’ in relation to mistaken identity, when the wrong player has been shown a yellow or red card. That, however, led to some confusion over the precise threshold of that law and whether it could include instances of simulation, resulting in a difference offence being charged. It was first used in the United States’ group-stage win over Paraguay, when Tim Ream was initially shown a yellow card by on-field referee Danny Makkelie for what was perceived as a trip on Paraguay attacker Miguel Almiron. The VAR Carlos del Cerro recommended a review based on ‘mistaken identity’, with the decision used to reverse the decision as Ream did not in fact make contact with Almiron. Makkelie reversed his initial decision and instead booked the Paraguayan for simulation.

Another high-profile use of ‘mistaken identity’ was used in Argentina’s quarter-final win over Switzerland, when Embolo initially was awarded a free-kick with Argentina’s Leandro Paredes booked for a challenge. Again, the VAR recommended the instance be reviewed as there was no contact from Paredes on Embolo, who was upon review deemed to have dived and was shown a yellow card — his second of the game — and sent off. The yellow for Paredes, meanwhile, was overturned. That proved a pivotal moment in the game, coming just five minutes after Switzerland had made it 1-1 in the last-eight tie, with Argentina going on to win 3-1 after extra time.

In a circular on Monday, the IFAB clarified VAR’s protocol on mistaken identity to confirm the original offence should not be overturned - as it was in the instances of Almiron and Embolo receiving yellows for simulation - and it can only be done so if the incorrect player was penalised based on the on-field official’s initial judgement. This was despite the IFAB stating that its use in retrospectively punishing simulation being “well received” during the tournament. “A yellow card (caution) which is not a second yellow card can only be reviewed to identify the player who committed the offence that was penalised; the offence itself cannot be reviewed/changed,” the ruling reads. “The use of the mistaken identity clause to deal with simulation during the World Cup was well received and will be included in the detailed review of the VAR protocol announced in circular no. 32. However, it may not be used as such until that review is concluded.” During the cases of Almiron and Embolo at the World Cup, the VAR advice was changing from the decision of a foul to a decision on simulation which meant reviewing different, subjective offences in which the on-field referee must visit the pitch-side screen.

Source: The Athletic

Slavko Vinčić ends his career after the World Cup final

A week after the World Cup final in the USA, Slavko Vinčić officially ended his historic refereeing career at the top of the world. As the first Slovenian referee, the Maribor native officiated the final of the 2026 World Cup between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, confirming his status as one of the greatest referees in history. As the crowning glory of his farewell season, the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) declared him the best referee of the World Cup, and in Italy he received the prestigious Giulio Campanati Award.

Slavko Vinčić, born on 25 November 1979, comes from Maribor and has been on the list of international referees since 2010. At the 2012 European Championship, he worked as additional AR and, along with the Slovenian team, reached the quarter-final between Greece and Germany. In 2013, he refereed at the final tournament of the U-17 Euro in Slovakia and reached the semi-finals, and in 2015, he refereed in the knock-out stages of European competitions for the first time, with the Europa League round of 16 match Guingamp - Dynamo Kyiv. At Euro 2016, he served again as additional AR for the Slovenian team led by Damir Skomina, and in the final round of the Champions League group stage in 2016, he made his debut in the elite club competition with the match Manchester City - Celtic. Since then, he has been regularly refereeing Champions League matches, and at the end of 2019, he was included in the elite group of European referees. He refereed at the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India, 2019 UEFA U-21 Euro in Poland, 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland, Euro 2020 (including the quarter-final Belgium - Italy), 2022 Europa League final Eintracht Frankfurt - Glasgow Rangers, 2022 World Cup in Qatar, 2023 Nations League semi-final Spain - Italy, 2024 Champions League final Borussia Dortmund - Real Madrid, Euro 2024 (including the semi-final Spain - France), 2025 Nations League semi-final Germany - Portugal, 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and finally the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final between Spain and Argentina.

Source: NZS

UEFA Referee Talent and Mentor 2026-2027

Men (9): Antoni Bandic (BIH, 1990), Radoslav Gidzhenov (BUL, 1991), Patrik Kolaric (CRO, 1995), Samuel Barrott (ENG, 1992), Florian Badstübner (GER, 1991), Igor Stojchevski (MKD, 1989), Ishmael Barbara (MLT, 1993), Milan Milanovic (SRB, 1993), Oleksiy Derevinskyi (UKR, 1989).

Women (4): Kirsty Dowle (ENG, 1991), Lotta Vuorio (FIN, 1996), Franziska Wildfeuer (GER, 1993), Rasa Grigone (LTU, 1991).

UEFA Referee Coaches: Frank De Bleeckere (BEL), Silvia Spinelli (ITA), Matteo Trefoloni (ITA), Terje Hauge (NOR), Cuneyt Cakir (TUR)

FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup 2026

Morocco, 17 October - 7 November 2026

AFC
Referee: Dong Fangyu CHN (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Xie Lijun CHN
Assistant Referee 2: Bao Mengxiao CHN

Referee: Oh Hyeon-Jeong KOR
Assistant Referee 1: Park Mi-Suk KOR
Assistant Referee 2: Lee Soo-Bin KOR

Referee: Lara Lee AUS
Assistant Referee 1: Ramina Tsoi KGZ
Assistant Referee 2: Nuannid Donjangreed THA

CAF
Referee: Ghada Mehat ALG
Assistant Referee 1: Asma Ouahab ALG
Assistant Referee 2: Sakina Hamidou NIG

Referee: Josphine Wanjiru KEN
Assistant Referee 1: Nancy Kasitu ZAM
Assistant Referee 2: Tabara Mbodji SEN

Referee: Shahenda Saad EGY
Assistant Referee 1: Queency Victoire MRI
Assistant Referee 2: Houda Afine TUN

CONCACAF
Referee: Carly Shaw-MacLaren CAN
Assistant Referee 1: Melissa Snedden CAN
Assistant Referee 2: Stephanie Yee Sing JAM

Referee: Deily Gomez CRC
Assistant Referee 1: Iris Vail GUA
Assistant Referee 2: Kindria Aguero CRC

Referee: Karen Hernandez MEX
Assistant Referee 1: Mayra Mora MEX
Assistant Referee 2: Karla Flores MEX

Referee: Natalie Simon USA
Assistant Referee 1: Katarzyna Wasiak USA
Assistant Referee 2: Tiffini Turpin USA

Referee: Vimarest Diaz DOM
Assistant Referee 1: Santa Medina DOM
Assistant Referee 2: Melissa Nicholas TRI

CONMEBOL
Referee: Adriana Alvarez ARG
Assistant Referee 1: Carla Lopez ARG
Assistant Referee 2: Maria BevilacquaARG

Referee: Alejandra Quisbert BOL
Assistant Referee 1: Elizabeth Blanco BOL
Assistant Referee 2: Maria Cabezas BOL

Referee: Paula Fernandez COL
Assistant Referee 1: Nataly Arteaga COL
Assistant Referee 2: Carolina Vicuna COL

UEFA
Referee: Caroline Lanssens BEL
Assistant Referee 1: Stasa Spur SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Linda Schmid SUI

Referee: Fabienne Michel GER
Assistant Referee 1: Amina Gutschi AUT
Assistant Referee 2: Anne Uersfeld GER

Referee: Michalina Diakow POL
Assistant Referee 1: Ivona Pejic CRO
Assistant Referee 2: Marilena Nan ROU

Referee: Miriama Bockova SVK
Assistant Referee 1: Anita Vad HUN
Assistant Referee 2: Tilde Hedberg SWE

Orsato replaced Rocchi as new Serie A referee designator

Daniele Orsato has officially been appointed as the new referee designator for Serie A and Serie B for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons, the AIA have confirmed. Orsato is the replacement for Gianluca Rocchi, who suspended himself back in April after he was placed under investigation for his alleged involvement in sporting fraud and amidst allegations that he had influenced certain VAR decisions. Dino Tommasi has been serving as the interim refereeing chief in the three months since then.

Orsato, 50, is a retired referee who took charge of 290 Serie A matches across his officiating career. His most high-profile match came in the 2020 Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain. He also took charge of the 2024 Champions League semi-final second leg between PSG and Borussia Dortmund, and the 2022 World Cup semi-final between Argentina and Croatia. Orsato took charge of his final Serie A match, between Atalanta and Fiorentina, on June 2, 2024.He served as the AIA (Italian refereeing association) commissioner for the development of refereeing talent from January 2025 and as the referee designator of Serie C for the 2025-26 season. Nicola Rizzoli and Daniele Doveri were among the alternative options to Orsato for the role of Serie A and Serie B referee designator. Doveri, 48, will instead continue to referee for another season. Nicola Ayroldi will serve as the referee designator for Serie C.

Daniele Orsato has set out the approach he wants from his officials as he prepares for his first season as Serie A and Serie B refereeing designator, promising a clear distinction between genuine fouls and incidental contact.According to Corriere dello Sport, the former referee outlined his thinking to Rai Radio 1. “We’ll train to punish fouls, not contact in play,” Orsato said, laying down the guiding principle for the campaign ahead.These are intense days, we’re trying to study the individual profile of every referee. We’re looking for clear guidelines for the young officials, we’ll work on the athletic side and return to being technically strong.” The new designator also touched on two long-running debates in Italian football: the awarding of soft penalties, or ‘rigorini’, and diving. “We’ll follow the rules and work on our mistakes to get as few wrong as possible, the good faith and commitment of my lads will be total,” he said. On simulation, he promised vigilance: “We’ll monitor everything. This is an aspect that is on the decline.” Orsato singled out Maurizio Mariani, the only Italian official at the World Cup, as a benchmark. “He put in three very good performances at the World Cup, he’ll be our guide on the pitch and an example for the younger ones,” he said. Asked about the officiating at the tournament, he was complimentary, praising Slavko Vincic’s display in the final, while sidestepping the Balogun controversy entirely: “I didn’t take an interest in that subject. These are situations bigger than me.” His remarks flesh out the new era of Italian officiating that will also see VAR used to review wrongly awarded corners and second yellow cards next season, a UEFA-inspired shift Orsato has been charged with implementing.

Source: Football Italia

FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup 2026

Poland, 5 - 27 September 2026

AFC
Referee: Asaka Koizumi JPN (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Riiohlang Dhar IND
Assistant Referee 2: Amal Badhafari UAE

Referee: Casey Reibelt AUS
Assistant Referee 1: Emma Kocbek AUS
Assistant Referee 2: Madelaine Allum AUS

Referee: Kim Yu-Jeong KOR
Assistant Referee 1: Heba Saadieh PLE
Assistant Referee 2: Supawan Hinthong THA

Video Match Official
Sivakorn Pu-Udom THA

CAF
Referee: Shamirah Nabadda UGA
Assistant Referee 1: Fanta Kone MLI
Assistant Referee 1: Fides Bangurambona BDI

Referee: Twanyanyukwa Antsino NAM
Assistant Referee 1: Diana Chikotesha ZAM
Assistant Referee 2: Carine Atemzambong CMR

Video Match Officials
1. Letticia Viana SWZ
2. Maria Rivet MRI
3. Salima Mukansanga RWA

CONCACAF
Referee: Alyssa Pennington USA
Assistant Referee 1: Meghan Mullen USA
Assistant Referee 2: Jassett Kerr-Wilson JAM

Referee: Lizzet Garcia MEX
Assistant Referee 1: Aranza Quero MEX
Assistant Referee 2: Jessica Morales MEX

Referee: Marianela Araya CRC
Assistant Referee 1: Shirley Perello HON
Assistant Referee 2: Lourdes Noriega HON

Referee: Myriam Marcotte CAN
Assistant Referee 1: Gabrielle Lemieux CAN
Assistant Referee 2: Mijensa Rensch SUR

Video Match Officials
1. Diana Perez MEX
2. Ismael Cornejo SLV

CONMEBOL
Referee: Anahi Fernandez URU
Assistant Referee 1: Daiana Fernandez URU
Assistant Referee 2: Sofia Sarzay URU

Referee: Charly Straub BRA
Assistant Referee 1: Fernanda Antunes BRA
Assistant Referee 2: Anne Gomes BRA

Referee: Dione Rissios CHI
Assistant Referee 1: Leslie Vasquez CHI
Assistant Referee 2: Yomara Salazar CHI

Referee: Milagros Arruela PER
Assistant Referee 1: Vera Yupanqui PER
Assistant Referee 2: Mariana Aquino PER

Video Match Officials
1. Maria Daza COL
2. Stefani Escobar VEN
3. Susana Corella ECU
4. Rodrigo Carvajal CHI

UEFA
Referee: Alina Pesu ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Daniela Constantinescu ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Heini Hyvoenen FIN

Referee: Iuliana Demetrescu ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Paulina Baranowska POL
Assistant Referee 2: Irina Pozdejeva LTU

Referee: Maria Ferrieri Caputi ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Stefania Signorelli ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Emily Carney ENG

Referee: Marta Huerta De Aza ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Iragartze Fernandez ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Andreia Sousa POR

Referee: Silvia Gasperotti ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Giulia Tempestilli ITA 

Assistant Referee 2: Svitlana Grushko UKR

Video Match Officials
1. Angelos Evangelou GRE
2. Catarina Ferreira POR
3. Eszter Urban HUN
4. Jelena Jovanovic-Dzajic SRB

World Cup referee Anthony Taylor retires: “Intense pressure and constant scrutiny”

Referee Anthony Taylor has announced his retirement with immediate effect, highlighting the impact of the "intense" pressure of the role. Taylor, 47, enjoyed a 20-year career spanning 831 matches, with his final game being Spain's 1-0 win over Portugal in the World Cup last 16 on 6 July. A prison officer before becoming a professional referee, he was first added to the Football League list at the start of the 2006-07 season. Promotion to the Premier League followed in 2010, where he took charge of 432 top-flight matches and officiated every major domestic cup final. In total, he officiated 668 matches in the professional game in England.

"Officiating at the elite level has been an immense privilege, but the pressure is intense and the scrutiny is constant," Taylor said. "The time is now right to step aside and look forward to transitioning to the next chapter of my career." The Wythenshawe-born referee, who had been on FIFA's list of officials for 14 years, was also selected for the 2022 World Cup, and the Euros in 2020 and 2024. In total, he officiated 163 international matches. Taylor was shortlisted to referee the 2022 World Cup final but was discounted because of political tensions between England and finalists Argentina. Howard Webb, chief refereeing officer at Pro Ref, said: "Anthony has been a fantastic servant to the game over many years, both domestically and on the international stage. He has been repeatedly trusted to officiate in the biggest games. We thank him for his immense contribution to the game and wish him every success in the next chapter of his career."

Taylor refereed the 2015 EFL Cup final, with Chelsea beating Tottenham Hotspur 2–0. In 2020, he became the first referee since 1901 to take charge of two FA Cup finals when Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1. Taylor previously took charge of the 2017 FA Cup final, also a 2-1 win for Arsenal against Chelsea. He also refereed the Community Shield in 2015 and the 2018 Championship play-off final. Taylor received praise for the way he handled the Euro 2020 game between Denmark and Finland, which had to be halted when Christian Eriksen collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest. He has also been appointed to several high-profile UEFA matches, including the 2020 Super Cup final, with Bayern Munich beating Sevilla 2-1, the 2021 Nations League final, in which France beat Spain 2-1, and the 2023 Europa League final which saw Sevilla beat Roma on penalties. Taylor faced a great deal of abuse after the Europa League final but was firmly backed by UEFA referees' chief Roberto Rosetti. Roma boss Jose Mourinho called Taylor a "disgrace" twice in a post-match news conference before confronting him in a car park - an incident the Portuguese was given a four-match ban for. Taylor was then shouted at by angry fans as he walked though Budapest Airport with his family. In October 2025, Taylor spoke to BBC Sport about the impact of that night and the events that followed. "That's the worst situation I've dealt with in terms of abuse," Taylor said. "Not only because I was travelling with family members at the time, but it also highlights the impact of people's behaviour on others. Even in a match like that, where there were actually no major mistakes in the game." Taylor, who also took charge of games at the FIFA Club World Cup in 2022 and 2025, hinted in last October's interview that his career could be coming to an end. "I'm 47 next week, so that's quite old for somebody to be operating at this level, running around after people a lot younger than you," Taylor said. "It's much more of a challenge now to maintain the levels of fitness and to rest and recover." His retirement creates a gap at the top of refereeing in the English game.

Source: BBC

Collina's World Cup: "Technology doesn't kill emotions; it doubles them. The Spider cam? I'll explain..."

The Head of FIFA referees: "Vincic is very good; he reacted to the final appointment just like I did in 2002... We invest millions in technology, hoping it will be 'thrown away', meaning the referee has done well. But it was absurd that fans were watching replays while the match officials weren't."

Pierluigi Collina, the referee. "He's the best in history," say the French from France Football, the Ballon d'Or organisers. He has officiated the most important matches, featuring the strongest players, and finals of all kinds: the Olympics, Champions League, World Cups. Today he is the head of FIFA referees, and 24 years after his Germany-Brazil match, he found himself on the other side, as the person responsible for delivering the best news a colleague will ever receive in their career: "You will referee the World Cup final".

Spain v Argentina, Slavko Vincic to referee. "He's had a very good journey. I'm happy for him, as I am for the others who were here; making a choice wasn't easy". What was it like to announce the referee for a World Cup final for the third time? "Every time I get goosebumps. I know what these men and women have done for years, sacrificing so much, including their families. I expected Vincic's emotion; it was the same I experienced myself".

The World Cup saw several innovations: let's start with the eight seconds allowed to goalkeepers before restarting play? "In certain leagues, they held onto it for more than twenty seconds, an eternity. Referees didn't blow the whistle because the 'penalty' – an indirect free-kick inside the box – was disproportionate to the 'offence'. So, we gave them more time, eight seconds, and they know that if they exceed it, a corner will be awarded. The same applies to throw-ins and goal kicks. There have been few infringements, which demonstrates the positive impact of this introduction, making the game more fluid and enjoyable".

It was the most technological World Cup ever. "Technology was introduced to resolve a paradoxical situation. In the stadium, over 80,000 spectators had the chance to see in real-time what had happened on the pitch, but the only person who couldn't was the one who had to make the decisions... There were two paths: either we created an Amish community inside the stadium where technology was banned, or we gave the same opportunity to the referees. We invest millions, hoping, however, that they will be 'thrown away': that would mean the referees have done a good job and haven't needed it".

How much has the referee's role changed? "From the 90s to today, football has changed. Players are different; the game is played at a much higher speed. And throughout all this, technology has played an important role, including for referees. I remember the Brazil-Germany final; when I asked the local Japanese staff if they could give me VHS tapes with videos of the two teams, they looked at me strangely. Today, there's FIFA AI Pro, developed with Lenovo, which can provide useful information for preparation".

The spider-cam incident in Norway v England was discussed. "It's incredible that people can't be convinced that a ball didn't touch any cable... A graph was shown where, when the ball is touched by a player or an object, a peak is visible. In that case, a flat graph was seen from the moment the goalkeeper released the ball until the other player controlled it. There was only a slight wave, related to the air. The same applied to the ball's rotations, and the camera also remained stable. There are technological tools that allow you to clarify certain things".

And in Portugal v Croatia? "Here too, the graph was clear. There's a peak when it touches the Croatian attacker's head, then a flat line, and another peak when it touches the Portuguese defender's back. Since the system doesn't detect contact with hair, the peak is determined by contact with the head".

Some say technology 'kills' emotion. "That's historically inaccurate. For offside, there's a few seconds' wait for confirmation, but the player celebrates when they score. And if the goal is confirmed, there's a second celebration; if it's disallowed, the opposing team celebrates. I find it much fairer that emotion is based on a correct decision, rather than an incident destined to be debated for weeks or decades. Even today, sixty years later, people still question whether, in England's goal in the 1966 final, the ball truly crossed the line..."

Source: Gazzetta

Dankert surpassed Irrati as the top FIFA Video Match Official

German referee Bastian Dankert has built an outstanding international career as a Video Match Official. He had been involved in numerous major tournaments, including the FIFA World Cups in Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022, the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019, and the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. Over time, he has accumulated the highest number of VAR appointments in major FIFA and UEFA finals:

UEFA Euro 2020 Final

UEFA Conference League 2022 Final

UEFA Europa League 2023 Final

UEFA Super Cup 2024 Final

UEFA Europa League 2025 Final

FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Final

UEFA Champions League 2026 Final

FIFA World Cup 2026 Final

When VAR was introduced at the highest level, Italian Massimiliano Irrati was widely considered the top Video Match Official in the world. His most important appointments include:

FIFA World Cup 2018 Final

UEFA Champions League 2020 Final

FIFA World Cup 2022 Semi-final

UEFA Champions League 2022 Final (AVAR)

UEFA Champions League 2024 Final (SVAR)