2026 World Cup/Refereeing: tournament to showcase a range of innovations

New cases for video assistant referee (VAR) intervention, new rules designed to reduce prolonged stoppages and tactical disruptions to the flow of play, and new red-card offences, including for players covering their mouths during confrontational situations with opponents, are among the measures that will be implemented for the first time at the 2026 World Cup, which kicks off on 11 June 2026 (Mexico - South Africa in Mexico City, at 21:00 CET).

A total of 170 match officials - 52 referees, 88 assistant referees and 30 video match officials - (before Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was denied entry to the United States on 6 June 2026, see below) are expected to officiate the 104 matches of the first-ever 48-team FIFA World Cup, scheduled through to 19 July 2026.

"The selected referees are the best in the world. They were chosen from a large pool of candidates who have been monitored over the past three years. They have attended seminars and officiated at FIFA competitions. Furthermore, their performances in domestic and international matches have been regularly assessed. The…