World Cup referees 2026: Complete list of officials, VARs and assistants names, countries and languages spoken

While the best players in the world will determine the outcome of the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer, the best referees from around the globe are hoping to have their own say on the famous tournament.

Scores of the best match officials from around the world are set to descend on North America for the coming competition, with some of the most recognizable names from the biggest club and international competitions in the game of football called to action.

FIFA has released the list of names that will help officiate World Cup matches, from the group stage all the way through to the final on July 15. This group of more than 150 individuals from all corners of the world will represent FIFA in an attempt to ensure the games are played out fairly and within the Laws of the Game.

The Sporting News brings you a look at who will take charge of the 104 matches across the 2026 FIFA World Cup and how they fit into the larger context of this historic event.

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List of 2026 World Cup referees

There will be 52 total head referees to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is up from 33 at the 2022 tournament. The increase in match officials was needed to compensate for the significant increase in total matches, with the 2026 tournament to feature 104 total games, up from 64 in 2022.

Just like four years ago, all six of FIFA's continental federations will feature at the 2026 World Cup, with 44 different countries represented. Argentina and Brazil have three referees at the tournament to lead the way, while the United States, Mexico, England, and France send two each.

Here is the full list of referees for the 2026 World Cup, with those bolded being those from 2026 host nations:

Best referees at 2026 World Cup

There are a host of names in the 2026 FIFA World Cup field that fans will recognize.

The referee for the 2022 World Cup final, Szymon Marciniak of Poland, is back in the field for the 2026 World Cup, his third World Cup tournament as a head referee. Additionally, veterans of the 2022 knockout stage include Abdulrahman Al-Jassim of Qatar (2022 third place match), Cesar Ramos of Mexico (2022 semifinals), Wilton Sampaio of Brazil (2022 quarterfinals), Facundo Tello of Argentina (2022 quarterfinals), and Michael Oliver of England (2022 quarterfinals).

Additionally, there are a host of referees in the 2026 field who have significant continental experience. The latest official for the UEFA Champions League final in 2025, Istvan Kovacs of Romania, is in the World Cup field, along with Slavko Vincic of Slovenia who officiated the 2024 UCL final.

The referees of the past two AFC Champions League finals — Ilgiz Tantashev of Uzbekistan (2024) and the aforementioned Al-Jassim (2025) are both in the field. Also included is the referee of the Euro 2024 final, Francois Letexier of France.

Notable absences from the field include 2022 semifinal referee Daniele Orsato of Italy, who retired in 2024; the referee of the latest CONCACAF Champions Cup final, Walter Lopez of Guatemala; and the referee of the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations final, Jean-Jacques Ndala of DR Congo.

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Somali referee Omar Artan barred from entering United States

Omar Artan, one of the referees from the two-legged 2025 CAF Champions League final, was set to become the first referee from Somalia to officiate at the World Cup finals.

However, the 34-year-old was denied entry to the United States at Miami International Airport. Somalia is one of the countries on U.S. President Donald Trump's travel ban list.

"FIFA can confirm that match official Omar Abdulkadir Artan will be unable to train and officiate at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States," read a statement from world football's governing body.

"FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr. Artan's status will not be changed at present. In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country."

All officials at the World Cup will be based at a training hub in Florida throughout the tournament and travel to games from there. As such, it would not be possible for Artan to stay outside the United States and officiate matches hosted in Canada and Mexico.

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Back in 2017, when travel bans were on the agenda during Trump's first term, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said: "Teams who qualify for a World Cup need to have access to the country, otherwise there is no World Cup. That is obvious.

"We are now in the process of defining the bid requirements. In the world there are many countries who have bans, travel bans, visa requirements and so on and so forth. It’s obvious when it comes to FIFA competitions, any team, including the supporters and officials of that team, who qualify for a World Cup need to have access to the country, otherwise there is no World Cup.

"The requirements will be clear. And then each country can make up their decision, whether they want to bid or not based on the requirements."

Addressing ongoing visa concerns for World Cup participants in August last year, Infantino said: "There is a process to go through to get visas and so on. This process will be smooth. We want to unite the world and we will unite the world next year. The world needs occasions of unity, of bringing teams together, of bringing people together, of bringing fans together. Everyone will be welcome, be positive and you will see it will be a great, great celebration of the greatest FIFA World Cup ever.”

World Cup final referees

There is only one referee in the current field of officials with experience in a World Cup final, being the 2022 official Szymon Marciniak of Poland.

Nations to have referees take charge of multiple World Cup finals include Argentina, Brazil, Italy, and England, with the latter two being the only nations to have three referees assigned to a final.

World Cup final referees all-time

2026 World Cup assistant referees and VAR officials

In addition to the 52 head referees to take charge of World Cup matches, there are also 88 assistant referees who will work World Cup games, and 30 video assistant referees (VAR) who will oversee replay.

See the full list of assistant referees and VARs here.

The large list of assistant referees is due to the fact that two are needed for every match. For the most part, assistant referees on the 2026 World Cup list hail from the same nations as those represented by head officials, as the teams routinely work together domestically and therefore are selected together.

Fans of European football will recognize some of the VAR officials from UEFA Champions League duty, including Jerome Brisard of France, Carlos Del Cerro Grande of Spain, Marco Di Bello of Italy, and Jarred Gillett of England, amongst others.

How much do World Cup referees get paid?

Salaries for 2026 World Cup referees are not yet widely available.

Four years ago, AS reported that referees were paid $70,000 each for participation at the 2022 World Cup. They were then given an additional $3,000 for each group stage game they officiated, and $10,000 for matches in the knockout round.

Assistant referees were paid $25,000 base plus $2,500 per group stage match and $5,000 for knockout round games, according to the report.

Referees at World Cup 2018 were paid $70,000 overall—a significant boost from the $50,000 they made at Brazil 2014—plus $3,000 per match.

What languages do FIFA World Cup referees speak?

Communication is vital for big-game referees as they aim to keep control of the on-pitch action, talk to players and coaches, and liaise with fellow officials and VAR.

With 32 sides taking to the field, there could be around 20 different languages spoken on the pitch, and FIFA lists the official languages spoken by their referees as English, Spanish, French and German.