FIFA Selects 52 Referees for World Cup, Including Women

FIFA unveiled a list of 52 referees for the World Cup, which will take place from June 11 to July 19. Among the selected referees, six are women, reflecting a commitment to developing female officiating in football.

The officiating team will also include 88 assistant referees and 30 video match officials. Pierluigi Collina, FIFA's Chief Refereeing Officer, noted that the selection process involved identifying the best match officials from FIFA's 50 member associations, based on their performance in domestic and international matches over the past three years.

The upcoming World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will be the largest in history, featuring 48 teams and 104 matches, compared to the previous tournament in Qatar, which had 32 teams and 64 matches. The inclusion of six women referees continues a trend initiated four years ago, aiming to further enhance women's representation in football officiating.