FIFA announced the match officials for the 2026 North American World Cup, excluding South Koreans for the fourth straight tournament. The list features 52 referees, 88 assistant referees and 30 video officials from 50 countries across six confederations.
FIFA unveiled on Friday the list of match officials for the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. This edition marks the largest tournament yet, expanding from 32 to 48 participating countries, with FIFA calling it "the most comprehensive lineup of match officials" in history.
The 52 referees, 88 assistants and 30 video officials hail from six confederations and 50 member countries. Selections followed FIFA's "quality first" principle, emphasizing consistent performances in recent FIFA tournaments, international and domestic matches, as stated by the governing body.
South Korea has lacked officials at the World Cup since assistant referee Jeong Hae-sang featured in 2010 South Africa. The country's milestone came in 2002, when Kim Young-joo became the first South Korean referee during the co-hosted event with Japan.
