FIFA has omitted Nigerian referees from its list of match officials for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, announcing a total of 52 referees, 88 assistant referees and 30 video match officials for the tournament.
The competition, scheduled to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, will be the largest in history, featuring 48 teams and 104 matches.
Read Also: Why are Nigerian referees missing in major CAF and FIFA tournaments?
FIFA’s chief refereeing officer, Pierluigi Collina, described the selected officials as the best available.
“The selected match officials are the very best in the world,” Collina said. “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 expanded officiating pool represents an increase of 41 officials compared to the 2022 edition in Qatar, which featured 32 teams and 64 matches.
Collina also highlighted continued progress in gender inclusion, with six women match officials named, building on the milestone set at the last World Cup.
The selected group, referred to as “FIFA Team One,” comprises officials drawn from all six confederations and 50 member associations but notably excludes any representatives from Nigeria.
The 2026 World Cup will feature 104 matches, 40 more than the 2022 edition, prompting FIFA to expand the officiating pool to meet the increased workload.
This latest omission serves as a stark wake-up call for the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and its Referees Committee.
Despite producing world-class players such as Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, the country has struggled to produce a central referee for the men’s World Cup in recent decades.
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
