Oliver and Taylor selected as World Cup referees
Premier League referees Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor have been selected to officiate at this summer's 2026 World Cup. It is the second time Oliver, 41, and Taylor, 47, have been selected for the major tournament, after they both refereed in Qatar four years ago. In total, England is represented by six on-field officials, with Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn, Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring chosen as assistant referees.
Six women have made the final list of match officials to oversee games but only two - American Tori Penso and Mexican Katia Garcia - will be part of the 52-referee team, compared to three female referees in 2022. The total of six female officials is the same as at Qatar 2022 - the first time female referees officiated matches at a men's World Cup. Pierluigi Collina, Fifa's chief refereeing officer and chairman of the Fifa referees committee said the world governing body was aiming to "further develop women's refereeing" by "continuing the trend" that was started in Qatar.
This year's expanded World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico will feature 48 teams and begins on 11 June. Australian Jarred Gillett, who has been a referee in the English top flight since 2021, will join the video assistant referee (VAR) team. Fifa said the process of choosing the 52 referees, 88 assistant referees and 30 video match officials spanned more than three years and was "based on quality and consistency of performances at the highest level".
Italian Collina, who refereed the 2002 World Cup final, said the selected officials "are the very best in the world" and Fifa will "leave no stone unturned in ensuring that our match officials are fully prepared". The selected officials will meet for a 10-day preparation seminar next month. "Our goal is to ensure that they're in optimal physical and mental condition when they arrive in Miami on 31 May," said Collina.
For the first time in a World Cup, referees will wear body cameras to give viewers an on-field perspective, while Collina added the use of goal-line technology and an advanced version of semi-automated offside will play an "important role" in supporting match officials.