KEIR RADNEDGE COMMENTARY —- England’s footballers must wait to know if they are heading to the World Cup finals but referees Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor and five of their fellow officials are sure of their places in central and north America.

Jarred Gillett is English football’s VAR representative while assistant referee nominees are Gary Beswick, Stuart Burt, James Mainwaring, Adam Nunn.

The FIFA panel of officials includes 52 referees, 88 assistant referees and 30 video match officials, who hail from all six confederations and 50 member associations. A FIFA statement said that “consideration was given to the consistency of the performances delivered by candidates at FIFA tournaments, as well as in international and domestic competitions in recent years.”

Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s chief refereeing officer and chairman of the FIFA referees committee, said: “The selected match officials are the very best in the world. They were part of a wider pool of officials that was identified and monitored over the past three years.

“They have attended seminars and officiated at FIFA tournaments. In addition, their performances in domestic and international matches were regularly assessed. The selected officials have received, and will continue to receive, comprehensive support from our fitness coaches and medical staff, including physiotherapists and a mental specialist. Our goal is to ensure that they’re in optimal physical and mental condition when they arrive in Miami on May 31.”

The expanded finals will be first hosted in three countries, the first with 48 teams, the first with 104 matches and with 41 more match officials than in Qatar in 2022. Six women match officials have also been selected though only American Tori Penso and Mexican Katia Garcia are in the main referee list.

Collina, referring to the technological support, added: “As at previous World Cups, technology will play an important role in supporting match officials in their decision-making. Goal-line technology, an advanced version of semi-automated offside technology and connected ball technology will be used, while for the first time in World Cup history, fans will be able to see things from the referee’s on-field perspective thanks to the use of new technologies.”

Massimo Busacca, the FIFA director of refereeing, said: “The road to the FIFA World Cup 2026 began immediately after the conclusion of Qatar 2022, with a structured programme involving seminars, workshops and continuous monitoring.

“Throughout this period, all candidates were closely evaluated by FIFA instructors, fitness coaches, doctors and physiotherapists, receiving comprehensive support to ensure that they achieve the highest possible standards at the tournament.”

Selected match officials will meet for a 10-day preparation seminar in Miami on May 31. The VAR will relocate to Dallas, which will be home to the International Broadcast Centre, while the referees, assistant referees and support staff will remain in Miami.

A package of measures designed to enhance match tempo and reduce time-wasting was approved by the law-making International Football Association Board in February including three enhancements to the VAR protocols.

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