CONMEBOL Sudamericana 2026 – Quarter-finals (First Leg)

8-10 September 2026

Santa Fe – Vasco da Gama
Referee: Dario Herrera ARG (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Maximiliano Del Yesso ARG
Assistant Referee 2: Jose Savorani ARG
Fourth Official: Sebastian Martinez ARG
VAR: Hernan Mastrangelo ARG
AVAR: Salome Di Iorio ARG
Referee Assessor: Pedro Saucedo BOL
VAR Supervisor: Marcelo De Leon URU

Boca Juniors – Sao Paulo
Referee: Piero Maza CHI
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Retamal CHI
Assistant Referee 2: Miguel Rocha CHI
Fourth Official: Diego Flores CHI
VAR: Fernando Vejar CHI
AVAR: Miguel Araos CHI
Referee Assessor: Dario Ubriaco URU
VAR Supervisor: Victor Carrillo PER

Santos – Atletico Mineiro
Referee: Alexis Herrera VEN
Assistant Referee 1: Antoni Garcia VEN
Assistant Referee 2: Paolo Garcia VEN
Fourth Official: Augusto Aragon ECU
VAR: Carlos Orbe ECU
AVAR: Byron Romero ECU
Referee Assessor: Ubaldo Aquino PAR
VAR Supervisor: Angel Sanchez URU

Cienciano – Montevideo Torque
Referee: Wilton Sampaio BRA
Assistant Referee 1: Danilo Manis BRA
Assistant Referee 2: Bruno Boschilia BRA
Fourth Official: Paulo Zanovelli BRA
VAR: Pablo Gonçalves BRA
AVAR: Diego Pombo BRA
Referee Assessor: Hilton Moutinho BRA
VAR Supervisor: Leandro Vuaden BRA

CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026 – Quarter-finals (First Leg)

8-10 September 2026

Fluminense – Platense
Referee: Andres Matonte URU (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Horacio Ferreiro URU
Assistant Referee 2: Andres Nievas URU
Fourth Official: Mathias De Armas URU
VAR: Andres Cunha URU
AVAR: Agustin Berisso URU
Referee Assessor: Jose Buitrago COL
VAR Supervisor: Carlos Pastorino URU

Palmeiras – LDU Quito
Referee: Jesus Valenzuela VEN
Assistant Referee 1: Jorge Urrego VEN
Assistant Referee 2: Tulio Moreno VEN
Fourth Official: Yender Herrera VEN
VAR: Juan Soto VEN
AVAR: Angel Arteaga VEN
Referee Assessor: Hector Baldassi ARG
VAR Supervisor: Patricio Polic CHI

Estudiantes La Plata – Corinthians
Referee: Esteban Ostojich URU
Assistant Referee 1: Martin Soppi URU
Assistant Referee 2: Pablo Llarena URU
Fourth Official: Alberto Feres URU
VAR: Antonio Garcia URU
AVAR: Santiago Fernandez URU
Referee Assessor: Dario Ubriaco URU
VAR Supervisor: Luis Vera ECU

Independiente Del Valle – Flamengo
Referee: Facundo Tello ARG
Assistant Referee 1: Cristian Navarro ARG
Assistant Referee 2: Gabriel Chade ARG
Fourth Official: Leandro Rey ARG
VAR: Silvio Trucco ARG
AVAR: Lucas Novelli ARG
Referee Assessor: Wilmar Navarro COL 

VAR Supervisor: Oscar Viera PAR

FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2026 – Group Stage (Matches 1-8)

4 September 2026
Poland – Argentina
Referee: Myriam Marcotte CAN (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Gabrielle Lemieux CAN
Assistant Referee 2: Mijensa Resnch SUR
Fourth Official: Marianela Araya CRC
VAR: Sivakorn Pu-Udom THA
AVAR: Letticia Viana SWZ

Brazil – Tanzania
Referee: Marta Huerta De Aza ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Iragartze Fernandez ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Andreia Sousa POR
Fourth Official: Alina Pesu ROU
VAR: Jelena Jovanovic-Dzajic SRB
AVAR: Diana Perez 🇲🇽

Mexico – Benin
Referee: Maria Ferrieri Caputi ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Daniela Constantinescu ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Irina Pozdejeva LTU
Fourth Official: Silvia Gasperotti ITA
VAR: Eszter Urban HUN
AVAR: Catarina Ferreira POR

Canada – England
Referee: Anahi Fernandez URU
Assistant Referee 1: Daiana Fernandez URU
Assistant Referee 2: Belen Clavijo URU
Fourth Official: Milagros Arruela PER
VAR: Maria Daza COL
AVAR: Angelos Evangelou GRE

5 September 2026
France – Korea
Referee: Charly Straub BRA
Assistant Referee 1: Fernanda Antunes BRA
Assistant Referee 2: Anne Sa BRA
Fourth Official: Lizzet Garcia MEX
VAR: Stefani Escobar VEN
AVAR: Diana Perez MEX

Japan – New Zealand
Referee: Twanyanyukwa Antsino NAM
Assistant Referee 1: Diana Chikotesha ZIM
Assistant Referee 2: Carine Atezambong CMR
Fourth Official: Shamirah Nabadda UGA
VAR: Maria Rivet MRI
AVAR: Susana Corella ECU

Ecuador – Ghana
Referee: Silvia Gasperotti ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Giulia Tempestilli ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Svitlana Grushko UKR
Fourth Official: Alyssa Pennington USA
VAR: Catarina Ferreira POR
AVAR: Sivakorn Pu-Udom THA

USA – Italy
Referee: Casey Reibelt AUS
Assistant Referee 1: Emma Kocbek AUS
Assistant Referee 2: Madelaine Allum AUS
Fourth Official: Dione Rissios CHI
VAR: Rodrigo Carvajal CHI
AVAR: Ismael Cornejo SLV

Dean: “I used to play in-match games”

Former Premier League referee Mike Dean says he used to set himself mini-challenges during matches "as a laugh". Appearing on Jamie Vardy's podcast, Dean said he would see how long he could go without blowing his whistle, or stay inside the centre circle. "We used to say, 'we'll kick off now. Right, see how long we can go without blowing a whistle'," he added. "I've done that a few times in the Premier League, before VAR obviously - went 20, 25 minutes without blowing a whistle. I used to do another thing. I used to stand in the centre circle - see how long I could stay in the centre circle before I had to leave. That was just me joking about. I got about 15 minutes once." Mark Halsey, who refereed in the Premier League between 1999 and 2013, told BBC Sport that Dean's comments damaged the reputation of all referees. BBC Sport understands that refereeing figures consider Dean's claims to be unfounded, which would be historical and go back to the pre-video assistant referee era before 2019, when Pro Ref was under different leadership. It is not the first time he has courted controversy for his media statements. When acting as the video assistant referee (VAR) for Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Tottenham in August 2022, Dean failed to send the referee to the monitor for a red card for Cristian Romero. The Spurs defender should have been penalised for pulling Marc Cucurella's hair. After retiring, Dean said in an interview he did not intervene because he wanted to save referee Anthony Taylor from extra "grief". "I didn't want to send him up because he is a mate as well as a referee," he revealed.

Dean enjoyed a 28-year career as a professional official, stepping down from on-field officiating in 2022 and retiring after spending the 2022-23 season as a full-time VAR. The 58-year-old began officiating in 1985 and progressed from refereeing in the Football League 10 years later, and then to Premier League in 2000. Dean refereed the 2008 FA Cup final and 2011 League Cup final at Wembley. Halsey also doubted Dean's story was true, but he had questions to answer if so. "It's caused so much controversy, and in all my years as a professional referee I have never heard of these games, never," said Halsey. "If Mike has played these games, then he's done that of his own accord. And if he has, then I think we need to know what games he's done them in, and how many games he's done them in. It brings into question the integrity of every official now." Halsey added he had spoken to other officials today who said "they've not heard of it either", as he questioned the validity of Dean's claims. "It's just impossible to go five minutes, let alone 20 minutes, without blowing your whistle to giving a free kick," he said. When Dean said in 2023 that he had helped out "a mate" in the Chelsea-Tottenham game from a year earlier, it caused real damage to the reputation of referees. Officials have to deal with baseless allegations of corruption and favouritism as it is, so giving any kind of credence to a lack of professionalism by a referee is a problem. As one serving referee told me at the time, it was as though Dean had "thrown them all under a bus". It tars everyone with the same brush, regardless of the facts. Dean's revelations this week are not quite so explosive, and it is difficult to know whether, if true, they could have an impact on a game. Of course, if Dean refused to blow his whistle to give a penalty because he was playing one of these games, that is a different matter. But without Dean giving any specific examples, it could equally be the case that he was trying to make himself come across as 'one of the boys' when chatting with ex-players. After making the claim, comedian and podcast co-host Josh James jokingly said to Dean: "Easy money." Refereeing bosses consider Dean to be of the old school, a different era when the organisation may not have been quite so professional and progressive. But even though it is more than four years since Dean stepped out onto a football pitch he remains as well-known as most current referees. And when he says something controversial, it is going to get traction.

Dean posted a statement on his Instagram story on Friday where he did not retract his claim, but sought to explain the context. "Throughout my 25 years as a professional referee, I have always applied the Laws of the Game to the best of my ability," Dean wrote. "My approach as a referee was always to allow the game to flow and whenever possible I preferred to apply a high threshold for contact which the players liked. However, if I saw a foul challenge that needed me to take the appropriate action I would give it from the correct position. At no stage was it my intention to question, criticise or undermine the integrity of refereeing in this country. I have always respected the profession and the responsibility that comes with being a referee." But is there any evidence that Dean did in fact play these games? Halsey said it would be "impossible" to hold the whistle for just a few minutes, let alone more than 20. So, BBC Sport looked at the Premier League games officiated by Dean from 2008-09 until 2018-19, when the video assistant referee was introduced. The focus was on more than 200 games that were 0-0 after 15 minutes, meaning there would be no need for a whistle for a kick-off after a goal. Are there any games which might provide evidence that Dean was playing around? Only five such examples could be found, with no game reaching 20 minutes. The longest was 18 minutes 50 seconds for a game involving West Brom and Man United, which Crystal Palace and Stoke at 18 minutes 20 seconds. This did back up Dean's claim to have "a high threshold", but with no clear evidence of obviously missed free kicks.

Source: BBC

Concacaf Leagues Cup Final 2026: Barton (SLV)

6 September 2026

Toluca FC – CF Monterrey
Referee: Ivan Barton SLV (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: David Moran SLV
Assistant Referee 2: Antonio Pupiro NCA
Fourth Official: Keylor Herrera CRC
VAR: Tatiana Guzman NCA

FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2026 – Match 2 (African-Asian-Pacific Cup)

19 September 2026

Mamelodi Sundowns – Al Ahli
Referee: Sandro Schärer SUI (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Stephane De Almeida SUI
Assistant Referee 2: Jonas Erni SUI
Fourth Official: Anojen Kanagasingam SUI
VAR: Fedayi San SUI
AVAR: Alessandro Dudic SUI

Former Swiss Super League referee banned from football

A former Swiss official with the Austrian Bundesliga club Altach is no longer allowed to work in football. The FIFA Disciplinary Chamber has banned the former top referee from working worldwide. Between 2018 and 2025, the official secretly filmed and photographed female players in locker rooms while they were changing and showering. The verdict is based on a request from the global players’ union FIFPRO to FIFA, as reported by the Austrian Press Agency (APA). The disciplinary chamber of the world governing body’s guilty verdict against the former top Swiss referee is already final. Back in February, the suspended defendant had been sentenced by the Feldkirch Regional Court to a seven-month suspended prison term and fined 1,200 euros, to be paid without probation.

The identity of the former Swiss referee has not been made public due to strict privacy laws regarding criminal trials in Austria and Switzerland. Major media outlets reporting on the case have explicitly noted that his name cannot be published legally under local privacy and reporting regulations. Public details are restricted to his age (34 years old at the time of his conviction) and his professional background as a former Swiss Super League referee from the Aargau/St. Gallen region who later served as a sports director and team official for the SCR Altach women's team.

Source: BlueWin

UEFA Women's Champions League 2026/27 – Third Qualifying Round (Second Leg)

1 September 2026 

Austria Wien – SK Brann
Referee: Eleni Antoniou GRE (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Vasilia Tsiklitari GRE
Assistant Referee 2: Zoi Papadopoulou GRE
Fourth Official: Eirini Pingiou GRE
Referee Observer: Katarzyna Wierzbowska POL

2 September 2026
Paris St. Germain – Eintracht Frankfurt
Referee: Emanuela Rusta ALB
Assistant Referee 1: Nicoleta Bria ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Jena Mala ALB
Fourth Official: Eglantina Pjetrushaj ALB
Referee Observer: Kateryna Monzul UKR

Inter Milano – VfL Wolfsburg
Referee: Olatz Rivera Olmedo ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Eliana Fernández González ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Rita Cabañero Mompó ESP
Fourth Official: Beatriz Cuesta Arribas ESP
Referee Observer: Dagmar Damková CZE

Servette FCC – Sparta Praha
Referee: Fabienne Michel GER
Assistant Referee 1: Amina Gutschi AUT
Assistant Referee 2: Anne Uersfeld GER
Fourth Official: Miriam Schwermer GER
Referee Observer: Stéphanie Frappart FRA

HB Koge – PSV Eindhoven
Referee: Ewa Augustyn POL
Assistant Referee 1: Julia Bukarowicz POL
Assistant Referee 2: Aleksandra Ulanowska POL
Fourth Official: Katarzyna Lisiecka-Sęk POL
Referee Observer: Carina Vitulano ITA

Real Sociedad – Chelsea FCW
Referee: Ivana Martinčić CRO
Assistant Referee 1: Maja Brozović CRO
Assistant Referee 2: Marta Maslać CRO
Fourth Official: Jelena Kumer CRO
Referee Observer: Aneliya Sinabova BUL

OH Leuven – Czarni Sosnowiec
Referee: Ivana Projkovska MKD
Assistant Referee 1: Vjolca Izeiri MKD
Assistant Referee 2: Angela Domazetovska MKD
Fourth Official: Vesna Miletić BIH
Referee Observer: Irina Mîrț ROU

Real Madrid – AFC Ajax
Referee: Frida Klarlund DEN
Assistant Referee 1: Katrine Stensholm DEN
Assistant Referee 2: Sidsel Dall DEN
Fourth Official: Nanna Andersen DEN
Referee Observer: Ana Minić SRB

Juventus FC – St. Polten
Referee: Michalina Diakow POL
Assistant Referee 1: Ivona Pejić CRO
Assistant Referee 2: Marilena Nan ROU
Fourth Official: Anna Adamska POL
Referee Observer: Esther Staubli SUI

UEFA Women's Europa Cup 2026/27 – First Qualifying Round (Second Leg)

1 September 2026 

Metalist Harkov – KFF Mitrovica
Referee: Eugenia Gil Soriano ESP (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Silvia Fernández Pérez ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Nahia Alonso Fernández ESP
Fourth Official: Elena Peláez Arnillas ESP

2 September 2026
FC Gintra – Sturm Graz
Referee: Anastasia Mylopoulou GRE
Assistant Referee 1: Maria Detsi GRE
Assistant Referee 2: Georgia Komisopoulou GRE
Fourth Official: Alexandra Deligianni GRE

ZNK Agram – FC Minsk
Referee: Alexandra Collin FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Camille Soriano FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Clothilde Brassard FRA
Fourth Official: Elisa Daupeux FRA

Kolos Kovalivka – SCU Torreense
Referee: Kristina Georgieva BUL
Assistant Referee 1: Liliya Dumbalakova BUL
Assistant Referee 2: Dorieta Valeva BUL
Fourth Official: Valeria Petrova BUL

Slovan Liberec – ZNK SFK
Referee: Hristiyana Guteva BUL
Assistant Referee 1: Pavleta Rashkova BUL
Assistant Referee 2: Maria-Yoanna Vasileva BUL
Fourth Official: Lyubima Banova BUL

Fortuna Hjorring – ZNK Hajduk
Referee: Michaela Pachtová CZE
Assistant Referee 1: Lucie Ratajová CZE
Assistant Referee 2: Zuzana Špindlerová CZE
Fourth Official: Natálie Čampišová CZE

FH – Apollon
Referee: Rasa Grigone LTU
Assistant Referee 1: Ieva Ramanauskiene LTU
Assistant Referee 2: Guoste Jonikaite LTU
Fourth Official: Ugne Šmitaite LTU

Csikszereda – Breidablik
Referee: Franziska Wildfeuer GER
Assistant Referee 1: Daniela Göttlinger GER
Assistant Referee 2: Jasmin Matysiak GER
Fourth Official: Davina Lutz GER

Rosenborg – Seasters
Referee: Kirsty Dowle ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Isabel Chaplin ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Georgia Ball ENG
Fourth Official: Grace Lowe ENG

Brondby – Spartak Subotica
Referee: Caroline Lanssens BEL
Assistant Referee 1: Staša Špur SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Linda Schmid SUI
Fourth Official: Jana Van Laere BEL

Valerenga FD – ZNK Radomlje
Referee: Miriama Bočková SVK
Assistant Referee 1: Anita Vad HUN
Assistant Referee 2: Tilde Larsson SWE
Fourth Official: Zuzana Valentová SVK

Feyenoord – Anderlecht
Referee: Abigail Byrne ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Anastasiya Voloshchuk ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Ruby Sykes ENG
Fourth Official: Alice Parker ENG

FIFA AR Bennett suspended over alleged “inappropriate behaviour with a woman”

FIFA assistant referee Simon Bennett has been suspended over allegations of inappropriate behaviour with a woman. The married £110,000-a-year senior linesman has not officiated this season after a probe was launched when concerns were raised about his conduct. He last ran the line on May 24, the final day of last season, in Brighton’s 3-0 home defeat to Man United. The former teacher, 41, had been selected and listed as an official by the Premier League for this season but has now gone to ground, it is said. A source told The Sun: “He has closed all his social media accounts and pretty much disappeared since he was suspended. The investigation is into his inappropriate behaviour with a woman. It has obviously raised eyebrows in the refereeing world because it goes against the grain of the job itself. Refs are supposed to ensure high standards on the pitch, so you’d hope they would do the same off the pitch. But we have to await the findings of the investigation now.”

Bennett, of Kidsgrove, Staffs, studied at Manchester Metropolitan University and taught at The Fallibroome Academy in Macclesfield, Cheshire, before becoming a full-time official. He has worked in the Premier League since 2011, and it is not known if he is still being paid. He has been on FIFA’s assistant referees list since 2013. He occasionally acts as an assistant video referee. Refereeing body Professional Game Match Officials Limited, now called Pro Ref, the FA and Bennett have all declined to comment.

Source: The Sun

Concacaf Leagues Cup 2026 – Semi-finals

2 September 2026

Club America – CF Monterrey
Referee: Mario Escobar GUA (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Luis Ventura GUA
Assistant Referee 2: Humberto Panjoj GUA
Fourth Official: Bryan Lopez GUA
Reserve AR: Juan Tipaz GUA
VAR: Erick Miranda MEX
AVAR: Anthony Bravo CRC
Referee Assessor: Peter Prendergast JAM

Toluca FC – Club Leon
Referee: Said Martinez HON
Assistant Referee 1: Walter Lopez HON
Assistant Referee 2: Christian Ramirez HON
Fourth Official: Jefferson Escobar HON
Reserve AR: Roney Salinas HON
VAR: Edvin Jurisevic USA
AVAR: Lukasz Szpala USA

UEFA: New refereeing guidelines

The most significant legacy from the World Cup concerns refereeing rules, leading to faster matches, fewer tricks and simulations, and greater control over potentially decisive errors. It was a necessary regulatory shift. However, the flip side was the excessive use of VAR, particularly in the latter stages of the tournament, with some 'retroactive' decisions perhaps best avoided. Consequently, to distance itself from FIFA and re-emphasize the referee's central role, UEFA has established new guidelines for the upcoming European club competitions. Roberto Rosetti, UEFA's chief refereeing officer, outlined how these will be implemented across the Champions League, Europa League, Conference League, and Nations League, aiming for greater uniformity with domestic leagues.

Throw-ins and Goal Kicks

The new IFAB rule has been adopted. For throw-ins and goal kicks, a 5-second countdown will commence from the moment the referee blows the whistle and signals. Any player exceeding this time limit will forfeit the throw-in to the opposition or concede a corner to the attacking side.

Quick substitutions

Another anti-timewasting measure concerns substitutions. Players must exit the field within 10 seconds of their numbers being displayed on the substitution board. Failure to comply will still result in the player being replaced, but their team will be forced to play short for at least 1 minute, until the next stoppage in play allows the substitute to enter.

Injuries

As Rosetti highlights, “far fewer players are seen collapsing on the pitch”, ensuring the game maintains its rhythm. Should an injury necessitate medical attention or a stoppage in play, the injured player will remain off the field for 1 minute. Exceptions apply if the foul led to a yellow or red card, if a goalkeeper is involved, or if it's a collision between teammates.

Covering mouth

On this matter, UEFA diverges from FIFA. Covering one's mouth while speaking to an opponent will not result in an immediate red card. The referee will have discretion to assess the situation and, if warranted, issue a yellow card, not a sending off. Rosetti remarked, “too often we've seen players demand opponents be sent off for a simple hand gesture”.

VAR and Second Yellow Cards

VAR will now review second yellow cards, “also to prevent incidents like those involving Lukaku and Bastoni. The Juventus player shouldn't have been booked, while Bastoni should have been”. There will be no review for a first yellow card: “It's part of football; a booking can be a mistake, and it would be dangerous to start reviewing everything”.

Silent Check at Corner Kicks

The new rule is approved, but Rosetti clarifies it will only apply “in absolutely clear cases, involving the last touch, without reviewing previous phases of play, and without wasting time”.

VAR with ball not in play at restarts

Previously, VAR could not intervene when the ball was not already in play at restarts. However, the protocol has changed. For instance, if an attacking foul occurs before play restarts, video review is now permitted.

Ball played in the penalty area

To prevent past misunderstandings: if the ball in the penalty area has already been played and it is in motion, a handball (even if it appears as a part of a goal kick yet to be taken) will result in a penalty kick.

Only the Captain

“No more mobbing of referees”, stated Rosetti. Only the captain is permitted to speak with the referee. Any player who fails to respect this rule, or acts in a threatening or disrespectful manner, will be shown a card.

VAR Review Process

“VAR should correct clear and obvious errors or serious missed incidents that could alter the outcome of a match”. Rosetti outlined the VAR process for referees: first, they assess the still image, then the action in slow motion, and finally at real speed. The decision is derived from this combined review.

Clear Line

The true revolution lies in a new video library on the UEFA website dedicated to refereeing decisions. This resource will allow users to consult over 150 situations, providing a constant reference for when VAR should or should not be applied. Rosetti added, “this is for fans, journalists, and observers, so there are no more doubts”.

Offside

Already implemented in Italy, semi-automatic offside is set to arrive in the Champions League. If an offside is clear, for example, by more than 30 centimetres, the AR will receive an audio message and the flag will be raised immediately, stopping play. Otherwise, the message will be “delay”, meaning play continues and the situation is reviewed afterwards.

VAR Philosophy

“VAR is not a second refereeing system”, Rosetti explained. “We are putting the referees at the centre. Good referees must make decisions, even unpopular ones”.

Source: La Gazzetta

UEFA Europa League 2026/2027 – Play-Offs (Second Leg)

27 August 2026

Ararat Armenia – Universitatea Craiova
Referee: Donatas Rumšas LTU (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandr Radiuš LTU
Assistant Referee 2: Dovydas Sužiedėlis LTU
Fourth Official: Robertas Šmitas LTU
VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
AVAR: Piotr Urban POL
Referee Observer: Marco Fritz GER

Iberia Tbilisi – Jagiellonia Bialystok
Referee: Simone Sozza ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Stefano Alassio ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Davide Imperiale ITA
Fourth Official: Giovanni Ayroldi ITA
VAR: Valerio Marini ITA
AVAR: Aleandro Di Paolo ITA
Referee Observer: Neale Barry ENG

Omonia Nicosia – Saint Truidense
Referee: Damian Sylwestrzak POL
Assistant Referee 1: Paweł Sokolnicki POL
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Karasewicz POL
Fourth Official: Łukasz Kuźma POL
VAR: Piotr Lasyk POL
AVAR: Kornel Paszkiewicz POL
Referee Observer: Knut Kircher GER

Viktoria Plzen – Crvena Zvezda
Referee: Danny Makkelie NED
Assistant Referee 1: Hessel Steegstra NED
Assistant Referee 2: Jan de Vries NED
Fourth Official: Joey Kooij NED
VAR: Dennis Higler NED
AVAR: Richard Martens NED
Referee Observer: Tomasz Mikulski POL

Lillestrom – Egnatia
Referee: João Pinheiro POR
Assistant Referee 1: Luciano Maia POR
Assistant Referee 2: Hugo Marques POR
Fourth Official: João Gonçalves POR
VAR: Tiago Martins POR
AVAR: André Narciso POR
Referee Observer: Vlado Svilokos CRO

Salzburg – Mjallby
Referee: Irfan Peljto BIH
Assistant Referee 1: Senad Ibrišimbegović BIH
Assistant Referee 2: Davor Beljo BIH
Fourth Official: Miloš Gigović BIH
VAR: Momčilo Marković SRB
AVAR: Aleksandar Živković SRB
Referee Observer: David Malcolm NIR

Kauno Zalgiris – Besiktas
Referee: Jesús Gil Manzano ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Guadalupe Porras Ayuso ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Guillermo Santiago Sacristán ESP
Fourth Official: Alejandro Quintero González ESP
VAR: César Soto Grado ESP
AVAR: Francisco Hernández Maeso ESP
Referee Observer: William Young SCO

Thun – Lech Poznan
Referee: Halil Meler TUR
Assistant Referee 1: İbrahim Uyarcan TUR
Assistant Referee 2: Abdullah Özkara TUR
Fourth Official: Cihan Aydin TUR
VAR: Daniele Chiffi ITA
AVAR: Onur Özütoprak TUR
Referee Observer: Viktor Kassai HUN

Aarhus – Benfica
Referee: Daniel Siebert GER
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Seidel GER
Assistant Referee 2: Rafael Foltyn GER
Fourth Official: Max Burda GER
VAR: Robert Schröder GER
AVAR: Johann Pfeifer GER
Referee Observer: Thomas Einwaller AUT

CSKA Sofia – OFI Crete
Referee: Ivan Kružliak SVK
Assistant Referee 1: Branislav Hancko SVK
Assistant Referee 2: Ján Pozor SVK
Fourth Official: Peter Královič SVK
VAR: Michael Fabbri ITA
AVAR: Michal Očenáš SVK
Referee Observer: Vladimir Antonov MDA

Ferencvaros – Trabzonspor
Referee: Rade Obrenovič SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Jure Praprotnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Grega Kordež SVN
Fourth Official: David Šmajc SVN
VAR: Matej Jug SVN
AVAR: Alen Borošak SVN
Referee Observer: Martin Ingvarsson SWE

Anderlecht – Qairat
Referee: Espen Eskas NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Engan NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Isaak Bashevkin NOR
Fourth Official: Sigurd Kringstad NOR
VAR: Andrew Dallas SCO
AVAR: Kevin Clancy SCO
Referee Observer: Alain Hamer LUX

UEFA Europa Conference League 2026/27 – Play-offs (Second Leg)

26 August 2026
Rapid Wien – Heart of Midtlothian
Referee: Elçin Masiyev AZE (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Elşad Abdullayev AZE
Assistant Referee 2: Parvin Talibov AZE
Fourth Official: Farid Hacıyev AZE
VAR: Willy Delajod FRA
AVAR: Nicat Ismayilli AZE
Referee Observer: Augustus Constantin ROU

27 August 2026
Freiburg – Motherwell
Referee: Andrea Colombo ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Giovanni Baccini ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Valerio Colarossi ITA
Fourth Official: Livio Marinelli ITA
VAR: Daniele Doveri ITA
AVAR: Paolo Mazzoleni ITA
Referee Observer: Michal Beneš CZE

KUPS Kuopio – Shamrock Rovers
Referee: Patrik Kolarić CRO
Assistant Referee 1: Luka Pajić CRO
Assistant Referee 2: Ivan Starčević CRO
Fourth Official: Dario Bel CRO
VAR: Fran Jović CRO
AVAR: Ivan Vučković CRO
Referee Observer: Levan Paniashvili GEO

Jablonec – Rangers
Referee: Nenad Minaković SRB
Assistant Referee 1: Nikola Borović SRB
Assistant Referee 2: Boško Božović SRB
Fourth Official: Danilo Nikolić SRB
VAR: Mario Zebec CRO
AVAR: Pavle Tomić SRB
Referee Observer: Kristinn Jakobsson ISL

Qarabag – Twente
Referee: Rohit Saggi NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Anders Dale NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Ole Haukasen NOR
Fourth Official: Marius Hansen NOR
VAR: Kristoffer Hagenes NOR
AVAR: Alan Kijas AUT
Referee Observer: Georgi Yordanov BUL

Maccabi Tel Aviv – Lugano
Referee: Jérémie Pignard FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Aurélien Drouet FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Hicham Zakrani FRA
Fourth Official: Ruddy Buquet FRA
VAR: Mathieu Vernice FRA
AVAR: Marc Bollengier FRA
Referee Observer: Aliaksiej Kulbakou BLR

AS Monaco – Gornik Zabrze
Referee: Vasílios Fotiás GRE
Assistant Referee 1: Andréas Meindanás GRE
Assistant Referee 2: Michaíl Papadákis GRE
Fourth Official: Aléxandros Tsakalídis GRE
VAR: Ángelos Evangélou GRE
AVAR: Konstandínos Poulikídis GRE
Referee Observer: Ante Vučemilović CRO

Inter Escaldes – Drita
Referee: Giorgi Kruashvili GEO
Assistant Referee 1: Levan Varamishvili GEO
Assistant Referee 2: Giorgi Elikashvili GEO
Fourth Official: Giorgi Avazashvili GEO
VAR: Aleko Aptsiauri GEO
AVAR: Gianluca Aureliano ITA
Referee Observer: Michális Argyroú CYP

Riga – Klaksvik
Referee: Allard Lindhout NED
Assistant Referee 1: Johan Balder NED
Assistant Referee 2: Murat Kücükerbir NED
Fourth Official: Alex Bos NED
VAR: Jeroen Manschot NED
AVAR: Erwin Blank NED
Referee Observer: Domagoj Vučkov CRO

FC Copenhagen – Inter Turku
Referee: Oleksiy Derevinskyy UKR
Assistant Referee 1: Oleksiy Myronov UKR
Assistant Referee 2: Svitlana Hrushko UKR
Fourth Official: Klym Zabroda UKR
VAR: Denys Shurman UKR
AVAR: Viktor Kopiyevskyy UKR
Referee Observer: Jan Wegereef NED

Rakow Czestochowa – Hajduk Split
Referee: Aliyar Aghayev AZE
Assistant Referee 1: Zeynal Zeynalov AZE
Assistant Referee 2: Akif Amirali AZE
Fourth Official: Kamal Umudlu AZE
VAR: Peter Bankes ENG
AVAR: Inqilab Mammadov AZE
Referee Observer: John Ward IRL

Hradec Kralove – Panathinaikos
Referee: Sascha Stegemann GER
Assistant Referee 1: Christof Günsch GER
Assistant Referee 2: Marco Achmüller GER
Fourth Official: Martin Petersen GER
VAR: Benjamin Brand GER
AVAR: Katrin Rafalski GER
Referee Observer: Claus Bo Larsen DEN

Brann – PAOK
Referee: John Brooks ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Neil Davies ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Blake Antrobus ENG
Fourth Official: Thomas Bramall ENG
VAR: Darren England ENG
AVAR: Paul Howard ENG
Referee Observer: Alfredo Trentalange ITA

Pafos – Dinamo City
Referee: Martin Matoša SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandar Kasapovič SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Matic Mežnar SVN
Fourth Official: Mateo Tozan SVN
VAR: Asmir Sagrković SVN
AVAR: Mihael Antič SVN
Referee Observer: Volodymyr Petrov UKR

Hapoel Tel Aviv – Atalanta BC
Referee: Daniel Schlager GER
Assistant Referee 1: Sven Waschitzki-Günther GER
Assistant Referee 2: Tobias Fritsch GER
Fourth Official: Tobias Reichel GER
VAR: Benjamin Cortus GER
AVAR: Nicolas Winter GER
Referee Observer: Kóstas Kapitanís CYP

St. Gallen – Nordsjaelland
Referee: Orel Grinfeld ISR
Assistant Referee 1: Roi Hassan ISR
Assistant Referee 2: Idan Yarkoni ISR
Fourth Official: Gal Leibovitz ISR
VAR: Daniel Bar Natan ISR
AVAR: Eli Hakmon ISR
Referee Observer: Boško Jovanetić SRB

Ajax – Sion
Referee: Julian Weinberger AUT
Assistant Referee 1: Andreas Heidenreich AUT
Assistant Referee 2: Maximilian Kolbitsch AUT
Fourth Official: Stefan Ebner AUT
VAR: Manuel Schüttengruber AUT
AVAR: Harald Lechner AUT
Referee Observer: Libor Kovařík CZE

Borac Banja Luka – Vikingur Reykjavik
Referee: Anastásios Papapétrou GRE
Assistant Referee 1: Trýfon Petrópoulos GRE
Assistant Referee 2: Andréas Fotópoulos GRE
Fourth Official: Fótios Polychrónis GRE
VAR: Ioánnis Papadópoulos GRE
AVAR: Stéfanos Koumbarákis GRE
Referee Observer: Helmut Fleischer GER

Brighton & Hove Albion – Tromsoe
Referee: Sander van der Eijk NED
Assistant Referee 1: Rens Bluemink NED
Assistant Referee 2: Dyon Fikkert NED
Fourth Official: Marc Nagtegaal NED
VAR: Clay Ruperti NED
AVAR: Stan Teuben NED
Referee Observer: Darko Čeferin SVN

Austria Wien – Braga
Referee: Nikola Dabanović MNE
Assistant Referee 1: Srdjan Jovanović MNE
Assistant Referee 2: Vladan Todorović MNE
Fourth Official: Miloš Bošković MNE
VAR: Fedayi San SUI
AVAR: Johannes von Mandach SUI
Referee Observer: László Vágner HUN

Rijeka – Midtjylland
Referee: Jasper Vergoote BEL
Assistant Referee 1: Michael Geerolf BEL
Assistant Referee 2: Michele Seeldraeyers BEL
Fourth Official: Nathan Verboomen BEL
VAR: Bert Put BEL
AVAR: Jan Boterberg BEL
Referee Observer: Elmir Pilav BIH

Larne – Lincoln Red Imps
Referee: Radoslav Gidzhenov BUL
Assistant Referee 1: Miroslav Ivanov BUL
Assistant Referee 2: Todor Vukov BUL
Fourth Official: Georgi Kabakov BUL
VAR: Dragomir Draganov BUL
AVAR: Nikola Popov BUL
Referee Observer: Paweł Gil POL

Hibernian – Gent
Referee: Juan Martínez Munuera ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Diego Barbero Sevilla ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Carlos Álvarez Fernández ESP
Fourth Official: Víctor García Verdura ESP
VAR: Valentín Pizarro Gómez ESP
AVAR: Adrián Cordero Vega ESP
Referee Observer: Peter Rasmussen DEN

Partizan – Getafe
Referee: Urs Schnyder SUI
Assistant Referee 1: Marco Zürcher SUI
Assistant Referee 2: Benjamin Zürcher SUI
Fourth Official: Sven Wolfensberger SUI
VAR: Lukas Fähndrich SUI
AVAR: Michèle Schmölzer SUI
Referee Observer: Paolo Dondarini ITA

UEFA Champions League 2026/2027 – Play-offs (Second Leg)

25 August 2026
Sabah FC – Hapoel Beer Sheva
Referee: István Kovács ROU (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Mihai Marica ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Ferencz Tunyogi ROU
Fourth Official: Szabolcs Kovács ROU
VAR: Bastian Dankert GER
AVAR: Cătălin Popa ROU
Referee Observer: Stéphane Lannoy FRA

LASK – Celtic
Referee: Szymon Marciniak POL
Assistant Referee 1: Tomasz Listkiewicz POL
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Kupsik POL
Fourth Official: Pawel Raczkowski POL
VAR: Pol van Boekel NED
AVAR: Pawel Malec POL
Referee Observer: Frank De Bleeckere BEL

Bodo Glimt – NEC Nijmegen
Referee: Michael Oliver ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Stuart Burt ENG
Assistant Referee 2: James Mainwaring ENG
Fourth Official: Andrew Madley ENG
VAR: Michael Salisbury ENG
AVAR: Stuart Attwell ENG
Referee Observer: David Fernández Borbalán ESP

26 August 2026
Olympique Lyonnais – Fenerbahce
Referee: Maurizio Mariani ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Daniele Bindoni ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Alberto Tegoni ITA
Fourth Official: Luca Zufferli ITA
VAR: Marco Di Bello ITA
AVAR: Luca Pairetto ITA
Referee Observer: Howard Webb ENG

AEK Athens – Levski Sofia
Referee: Clément Turpin FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Danos FRA
Assistant Referee 2 : Benjamin Pages FRA
Fourth Official: Romain Lissorgue FRA
VAR: Jérôme Brisard FRA
AVAR: Bastien Dechepy FRA
Referee Observer: Terje Hauge NOR

Viking FK – Dinamo Zagreb
Referee: José Sánchez Martinez ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Raúl Cabañero Martinez ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Iñigo Prieto Lopez ESP
Fourth Official: Javier Alberola Rojas ESP
VAR: Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez ESP
AVAR: Javier Iglesias Villanueva ESP
Referee Observer: Sokol Jareci ALB

NK Celje – Slovan Bratislava
Referee: Alejandro Hernández Hernández ESP
Assistant Referee 1: José Naranjo Perez ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Diego Sánchez Rojo ESP
Fourth Official: José Munuera Montero ESP
VAR: Carlos Del Cerro Grande ESP
AVAR: Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz ESP
Referee Observer: Lutz-Michael Frohlich GER

Concacaf Leagues Cup 2026 – Quarter-finals

25 August 2026

CF Monterrey – Chicago Fire
Referee: Rubiel Vazquez USA (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Nick Uranga USA
Assistant Referee 2: Jose Da Silva USA
Fourth Official: Fernando Hernandez MEX
Reserve AR: Felisha Mariscal USA
VAR: David Gomez CRC
AVAR: Jorge Camacho CRC

Club Leon – Real Salt Lake
Referee: Steven Madrigal CRC
Assistant Referee 1: William Arrieta CRC
Assistant Referee 2: Luis Granados CRC
Fourth Official: Juan Calderon CRC
Reserve AR: Jeriel Valverde CRC
VAR: Diana Perez MEX
AVAR: Francia Gonzalez MEX

26 August 2026
Toluca FC – Austin FC
Referee: Filip Dujic CAN
Assistant Referee 1: Cory Richardson USA
Assistant Referee 2: Gerad-Kader Lebuis CAN
Fourth Official: Victor Rivas USA
Reserve AR: Stefan Tanaka-Freundt CAN
VAR: Allen Chapman USA
AVAR: Daneon Parchment JAM

Club America – Columbus Crew
Referee: Marco Ortiz MEX
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Espinoza MEX
Assistant Referee 2: Michel Morales MEX
Fourth Official: Daniel Quintero MEX 

Reserve AR: Karen Diaz MEX
VAR: Guillermo Pacheco MEX
AVAR: Jesus Montero CRC

Ken Wright: World’s longest refereeing career

A 78-year-old referee set a Guinness World Record. Welsh soccer referee Ken Wright has been inducted into the Guinness World Records for the longest refereeing career.

Ken Wright has been officiating soccer matches since 1964. During that time, he has officiated more than 5,000 matches and has been active for 63 seasons. Despite his age, Wright continues to take the field and officiate matches in the veterans’ league in Swansea.

Source: UEFA

UEFA Women's Champions League 2026/27 – Third Qualifying Round (First Leg

25 August 2026 

SK Brann – Austria Wien
Referee: Alina Peşu ROU (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Heini Hyvönen FIN
Assistant Referee 2: Daniela Constantinescu ROU
Fourth Official: Roxana Timiş ROU
Referee Observer: Blaženka Logarušić CRO

26 August 2026
VfL Wolfsburg – Inter Milano
Referee: Iuliana Demetrescu ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Paulina Baranowska POL
Assistant Referee 2: Irina Pozdejeva LTU
Fourth Official: Ana Terteleac ROU
Referee Observer: Viola Raudziņa LVA

AC Sparta Praha – Servette FC
Referee: Jelena Cvetković SRB
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandra Kostić SRB
Assistant Referee 2: Dragana Tadić SRB
Fourth Official: Milica Milovanović SRB
Referee Observer: Nelli Stepanyan ARM

PSV Eindhoven – HB Koge
Referee: Catarina Campos POR
Assistant Referee 1: Vanessa Gomes POR
Assistant Referee 2: Sara Cunha POR
Fourth Official: Filipa Cunha POR
Referee Observer: Hilda McDermott IRL

Czarni Sosnowiec – OH Leuven
Referee: Lina Lehtovaara FIN
Assistant Referee 1: Laura Koskinen FIN
Assistant Referee 2: Ann-Sofie Träskman FIN
Fourth Official: Satu Miettunen FIN
Referee Observer: Galina Doneva BUL

Eintracht Frankfurt – Paris St. Germain
Referee: Marta Huerta De Aza ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Iragartze Fernández Esesúmaga ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Andreia Sousa POR
Fourth Official: Paola Cebollada López ESP
Referee Observer: Knarik Grigoryan ARM

AFC Ajax – Real Madrid
Referee: Maria Ferrieri Caputi ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Stefania Signorelli ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Emily Carney ENG
Fourth Official: Martina Molinaro ITA
Referee Observer: Olga Tanschi MDA

Chelsea FCW – Real Sociedad
Referee: Silvia Gasperotti ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Giulia Tempestilli ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Veronica Martinelli ITA
Fourth Official: Nicole Puntel ITA
Referee Observer: Esther Azzopardi MLT

SKN St. Polten – Juventus Torino
Referee: Désirée Blanco SUI
Assistant Referee 1: Linda Schmid SUI
Assistant Referee 2: Susanne Küng SUI
Fourth Official: Leonora Ismaili SUI
Referee Observer: Caroline De Boeck BEL

UEFA Women's Europa Cup 2026/27 – First Qualifying Round (First Leg)

26 August 2026 

ŽNK Radomlje – Valerenga FD
Referee: Olivia Tschon AUT (photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Biljana Iskin AUT
Assistant Referee 2: Vanja Vukanović AUT
Fourth Official: Lena Hirtl AUT

Apollon – FH
Referee: Jelena Medjedović SRB
Assistant Referee 1: Ivana Jovanović SRB
Assistant Referee 2: Andrea Marinković SRB
Fourth Official: Marina Živković SRB

KFF Mitrovica – FC Metalist
Referee: Aleksandra Česen SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Staša Špur SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Helena Buh SVN
Fourth Official: Vanja Janković SVN

ŽNK SFK – Slovan Liberec
Referee: Shona Shukrula NED
Assistant Referee 1: Amina Gutschi AUT
Assistant Referee 2: Isabelle van Gilst NED
Fourth Official: Manon Plandsoen NED

FC Seasters – Rosenborg BK
Referee: Déborah Anex ·SUI
Assistant Referee 1: Laetitia Nuara SUI
Assistant Referee 2: Sabrina Keinersdorfer SUI
Fourth Official: Laura Mauricio SUI

ŽNK Hajduk – Fortuna Hjorring
Referee: Emily Heaslip ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Isabel Chaplin ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Leoni Harland ENG
Fourth Official: Kirsty Dowle ENG

Sturm Graz – FC Gintra
Referee: Maïka Vanderstichel FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Siham Boudina FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Violette Le Chevert FRA
Fourth Official: Romy Fournier FRA

Anderlecht – Feyenoord
Referee: Volha Blotskaya BLR
Assistant Referee 1: Nastassia Danchanka BLR
Assistant Referee 2: Alesia Hutnik BLR
Fourth Official: Valiantsina Sakalovich BLR

Breidablik – Csikszereda
Referee: Sofiya Prychyna UKR
Assistant Referee 1: Oleksandra Vdovina UKR
Assistant Referee 2: Maryna Striletska UKR
Fourth Official: Liudmyla Telbukh UKR

Spartak Subotica – Brondby
Referee: Karoline Jensen NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Helle Reiten NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Victoria Nilsen NOR
Fourth Official: Maren Hatletvedt NOR

SCU Torreense – Kolos Kovalivka
Referee: Lotta Vuorio FIN
Assistant Referee 1: Taru Tiensuu FIN
Assistant Referee 2: Sandra Nigulis EST
Fourth Official: Gabriela Kaskmaa EST

29 August 2026
FC Minsk – ŽNK Agram
Referee: Nanna Andersen DEN
Assistant Referee 1: Anna Schmidt DEN
Assistant Referee 2: Sidsel Rasmussen DEN
Fourth Official: Frederikke Sokjaer DEN

Webb: Balogun World Cup red card saga fuels referee distrust

Howard Webb, the head of Premier League referees, has said he was "troubled" by Folarin Balogun's overturned red card during the World Cup as it fuelled perceptions among supporters that decisions are either "correct or corrupt." United States forward Balogun triggered an automatic suspension by being sent off for a foul on Bosnia-Herzegovina's Tarik Muharemovic during a 2-0 round-of-32 win for Mauricio Pochettino's team. But the 25-year-old's one-game suspension was unexpectedly lifted, enabling him to play in the round of 16 tie against Belgium, after FIFA announced that the ban had been suspended for the period of one year. U.S. President Donald Trump subsequently admitted to speaking to FIFA president Gianni Infantino to ask for Balogun's ban to be overturned, prompting widespread anger within the football world, including Belgium coach Rudi Garcia saying he initially thought the decision was an April Fools' Day joke.

Webb, who refereed the 2010 Men's World Cup final between Spain and the Netherlands in South Africa, said that the Balogun saga has damaged trust between the game and supporters. "I was really troubled by it [decision to overturn Balogun's suspension]," Webb told reporters. "I don't know the ins and outs of the process, only what happened in the end. Where I was troubled by it was that we live in a world now which is different to the one that I occupied as a ref in that the decisions that are taken were previously viewed as correct or incorrect based on your judgment. Far too often now, decisions are viewed as correct or corrupt by people who want to type all over social media. They try to draw inferences around decisions, around the scene, but they don't agree with the motivation behind that decision, which is born out of no facts, no evidence. But when you get that type of situation, it opens up space for people to think, 'Aha, you see this sort of things happening all the time behind the scenes.' It's really not like that in my experience, in my professional experience. But the fact that that sort of [political] influence can be had, is just really not reflective of the game that I know." Webb, who worked as manager for MLS between 2017-2022, said that he "understands" why Balogun was shown a red card against Bosnia and was left bemused by FIFA's decision to lift the Monaco forward's suspension. "The facts that we know, what do we know? We know for sure that the red card was shown," Webb said. "You can form an opinion about the validity of the red card, and I understand why it was given. We know that there was pressure placed by a politician onto FIFA because that was admitted. And we know that the suspension was taken away for that particular tournament and suspended through a process which seemingly didn't exist before the World Cup that started. The officials do their job on the field. You referee the game in the 90 minutes to the best of your ability, with your VAR, to the best of your ability. Then what happens, happens afterwards."

Source: ESPN