FIFA chief refereeing officer Pierluigi Collina has defended the standard of officiating at the 2026 World Cup. He insisted that match officials operate independently and are not influenced by outside pressure.
Collina spoke in an interview published by FIFA after criticism of several decisions during the tournament in North America. One case involved the overturning of United States striker Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension following discussions between FIFA President Gianni Infantino and US President Donald Trump.
Egypt also expressed anger after their last-16 exit to Argentina. The team questioned a disallowed goal that would have given them a 2-0 lead. Collina explained that video assistant referees review the full attacking phase and can intervene on fouls such as Egypt’s Marwan Attia stepping on the foot of Argentina’s Lisandro Martinez.
“Overall, we are happy,” Collina said. He added that nobody can question the integrity of the officials and rejected any suggestion that refereeing decisions could be influenced by anyone, including the FIFA president. Collina noted that constructive discussion is part of football but unfounded allegations have no place in the sport.
