FIFA released the final list of match officials for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday, with no representatives from Southeast Asia included.
A total of 52 referees, 88 assistant referees and 30 video match officials were selected, drawn from all six confederations and 50 member associations, underlining the global scale of officiating at the upcoming tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Match officials appointed for FIFA World Cup 2026™
⚽️ Total of 52 referees, 88 assistant referees and 30 video match officials from across all six confederations and 50 Member Associations selected for global showpiece
⚽️ Selection process based on quality and consistency of… pic.twitter.com/exbhTztlwI— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) April 9, 2026
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will be represented by officials from Qatar (4), Japan (4), China (4), Saudi Arabia (3), Jordan (3), Uzbekistan (3) and the United Arab Emirates (2), continuing the trend of limited Southeast Asian representation at football’s biggest event.
At the previous edition in Qatar in 2022, Singapore’s Muhammad Taqi Aljaafari was Southeast Asia’s sole representative, serving as a video assistant referee (VAR).
Prior to that, at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Malaysia’s Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh served as a fourth official in eight matches, while Singapore’s Jeffrey Goh was named as a reserve assistant referee.
The last time a Southeast Asian referee took charge of matches at the World Cup was two decades ago when Singapore’s Shamsul Maidin officiated three group-stage matches in Germany.
He was notable for issuing the tournament’s first red card during a match between Trinidad & Tobago and Sweden.
