SaltaBallFIFA officials · announced Apr 2026
Referees & officiating
The largest refereeing team in World Cup history — and the technology that helps with the big calls.
52Referees
88Assistants
30VAR
6Women officials
By confederation
Referees to know
Szymon Marciniak
Refereed the 2022 World Cup final; among the most respected officials in the game.
César Ramos
Host-nation veteran; took charge of the 2025 Liga MX final.
Tori Penso
One of six women officials selected; a leading MLS and international referee.
Ismail Elfath
Experienced MLS and CONCACAF referee on home soil.
Drew Fischer
Back-to-back MLS Referee of the Year.
Raphael Claus
Officiated the 2024 Copa América final.
Darío Herrera
Took the 2025 Copa Libertadores final.
Alireza Faghani
Vastly experienced; a fixture at major FIFA tournaments.
Ma Ning
One of Asia's top-rated officials.
Mustapha Ghorbal
Refereed four matches at the 2022 World Cup.
Technology on the field
Referee body-cam
For the first time at a World Cup, broadcasters can show the referee's own on-field point of view.
Semi-automated offside
Advanced limb-tracking flags offsides in seconds for the video team to confirm.
Connected ball
A sensor inside the official Adidas Trionda ball feeds precise touch and movement data to the VAR.
Goal-line technology
Instantly confirms whether the whole of the ball has crossed the line.
Video assistant referee
A 30-strong VAR team at the International Broadcast Centre in Dallas supports every match.
Daily prep in Miami
Officials train every day of the tournament, with match analysts briefing each appointment.