FIFA announced on Thursday the selection of nine Arab referees among a total of 52 main referees appointed to officiate matches at the 2026 World Cup, set to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

From Asia, the list includes Qatar’s Abdulrahman Al Jassim, Saudi Arabia’s Khaled Al-Turais, Jordan’s Adham Makhadmeh, and the UAE’s Omar Al Ali. From Africa, FIFA named Algeria’s Mustapha Ghorbal, Morocco’s Jalal Jayed, Mauritania’s Dahane Beida, Egypt’s Amin Omar, and Somalia’s Omar Abdulkadir Arten.

FIFA also announced 88 assistant referees and 30 video assistant referees from six continental confederations and 50 national associations.

The 2026 edition will feature a record 48 teams and 104 matches, taking place between June 11 and July 19 across the three host countries.