Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor have been selected as the English on-field referees for the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
Fifa announced their officiating team for the 48-team, 104-game tournament in the United States on Thursday. In total, 52 on-field referees, 88 assistant referees and 30 video assistant referees will be used this summer.
England and the Premier League will have six on-field representatives in total – with Gary Beswick, Stuart Burt, James Mainwaring and Adam Nunn supporting Oliver and Taylor as assistant referees.
The 2026 edition will be Oliver and Taylor’s second World Cup, with both officiating at the last event in Qatar.
There will only be one Premier League representative in the VAR booth, in the form of Australian official Jarred Gillett. Other notable European referees selected include France’s Clement Turpin, Germany’s Felix Zwayer and Dutch official Danny Makkelie.
“The selected match officials are the very best in the world,” said Fifa’s chief refereeing officer and 2002 World Cup final referee Pierluigi Collina.
“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.”
All officials will attend a 10-day preparation seminar in Miami ahead of the tournament.
New rules in force at the World Cup include a 10-second time-limit on substitutions and a five-second countdown on throw-ins and goal-kicks. Referees will also wear body cameras, enhancing the broadcast experience for viewers around the world.
Collina 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.”
