FIFA Announces Game Officials for 2026 World Cup

The world's biggest soccer tournament is coming to North America.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 11:11pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a fragmented soccer match, with overlapping planes of color representing the various officials and perspectives involved in overseeing the game.FIFA's complex coordination of match officials will be crucial to the success of the first-ever multi-country World Cup in North America.Seattle Today

FIFA has announced the 170 match officials who will oversee the games at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The list includes 52 referees, 88 assistant referees, and 30 video match officials.

Why it matters

The 2026 World Cup will be the first time the tournament is held in multiple countries across North America. Coordinating the large team of officials is a crucial logistical challenge to ensure the smooth running of the games.

The details

The match officials include 52 referees, 88 assistant referees, and 30 video match officials who will be responsible for overseeing the games at stadiums across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. This is the first time the World Cup will be hosted by multiple countries in North America.

  • The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place in June and July 2026.

The players

FIFA

The international governing body of association football, futsal, and beach soccer.

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What’s next

The list of match officials will be finalized in the coming months as FIFA continues its preparations for the 2026 World Cup.

The takeaway

The coordination of over 170 match officials is a massive logistical undertaking for FIFA as it prepares to host the first-ever multi-country World Cup in North America.