Four Moroccan referees have been selected in the final list of international officials who will officiate matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scheduled from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
They are Jayed Jalal as a central referee, Akarkad Mostafa and Brinsi Zakaria as assistant referees, and El Fariq Hamza as a video assistant referee. They will represent Morocco in this edition of the World Cup, the largest in history, featuring 48 teams and 104 matches across an unprecedented geographical span.
FIFA has unveiled the list of referees for the 2026 World Cup, which includes 52 central referees, 88 assistant referees, and 30 video match officials, drawn from six confederations and 50 member associations- 41 more officials than in the previous edition in Qatar.
This “Team One” represents the largest contingent of officials in World Cup history, FIFA said in a statement, noting that the 170 selected referees were chosen for their “consistent quality at the highest level” following a rigorous selection process spanning more than three years.
“The selected referees were chosen from a large pool of pre-selected candidates monitored over the past three years. They have taken part in seminars and officiated at FIFA competitions. Moreover, their performances in domestic and international matches have been regularly evaluated,” said Pierluigi Collina, Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, as quoted in the statement.
Starting May 31, members of “Team One” will take part in a ten-day preparation camp in Miami. Afterwards, video match officials will be based in Dallas, which will host the International Broadcast Centre, while central and assistant referees, along with support staff, will remain in Miami, FIFA noted.
FIFA also noted that measures aimed at improving match flow and reducing time-wasting, approved in February during the 140th Annual General Meeting of the International Football Association Board, will be implemented, along with three adjustments to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) protocol.
Body cameras for referees, whose use proved successful during the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup last year, will be used again. AI-based stabilization software will enhance real-time footage by reducing motion blur caused by rapid movements, allowing fans to experience matches from the referee’s perspective, FIFA added.
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