2026 FIFA World Cup European Qualifiers, September 2025.
Group E
15:00 CET - Tbilisi (Boris Paichadzis Dinamo Arena)
GEORGIA - BULGARIA
Referee: Glenn Nyberg SWEAssistant Referee 1: Mahbod Beigi SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel Yng SWE
Fourth Official: Adam Ladebäck SWE
Video Assistant Referee: Pol van Boekel NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Erwin Blank NED
UEFA Referee Observer: László Vágner HUN
UEFA Delegate: Mirosław Ryszka POL
Group G
18:00 CET - Kaunas (Dariaus ir Girėno stadionas)
LITHUANIA - NETHERLANDS
Referee: Elçin Məsiyev AZE
Assistant Referee 1: Elşad Abdullayev AZE
Assistant Referee 2: Pərvin Talıbov AZE
Fourth Official: Əliyar Ağayev AZE
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Mathieu Vernice FRA
UEFA Referee Observer: Martin Ingvarsson SWE
UEFA Delegate: Kurt Zuppinger SUI
Group J
18:00 CET - Skopje (Nacionalna arena “Todor Proeski”)
NORTH MACEDONIA - LIECHTENSTEIN
Referee: Horațiu Mircea Feșnic ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Valentin Gabriel Avram ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Alexandru Cerei ROU
Fourth Official: Marian Alexandru Barbu ROU
Video Assistant Referee: Ovidiu Alin Hațegan ROU
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Adrian Sorin Costreie ROU
UEFA Referee Observer: Rien Koopman NED
UEFA Delegate: David Moran IRL
Group A
20:45 CET - Cologne (RheinEnergieSTADION)
GERMANY - NORTHERN IRELAND
Referee: Espen Andreas Eskås NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Erik Engan NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Anders Olav Dale NOR
Fourth Official: Sigurd Smehus Kringstad NOR
Video Assistant Referee: Marco Di Bello ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Tom Harald Hagen NOR
UEFA Referee Observer: Iain Robertson Brines SCO
UEFA Delegate: Per Eliasson SWE
Group A
20:45 CET - Luxembourg (Stade de Luxembourg)
LUXEMBOURG - SLOVAKIA
Referee: Nicholas Walsh SCO
Assistant Referee 1: Daniel McFarlane SCOAssistant Referee 2: Ross Macleod SCO
Fourth Official: Matthew MacDermid SCO
Video Assistant Referee: Andrew Dallas SCO
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Steven McLean SCO
UEFA Referee Observer: Volodymyr Petrov UKR
UEFA Delegate: Philippe Prudhon FRA
Group E
20:45 CET - Konya (Medaş Konya Büyükşehir Stadyumu)
TÜRKİYE - SPAIN
Referee: Michael Oliver ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Stuart Burt ENG
Assistant Referee 2: James Mainwaring ENG
Fourth Official: Christopher Kavanagh ENG
Video Assistant Referee: Jarred Gillett AUS/ENG
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Darren England ENG
UEFA Referee Observer: Antonio Damato ITA
UEFA Delegate: Jovan Šurbatović SRB
Group G
20:45 CET - Chorzów (Superauto.pl Stadion Śląski)
POLAND - FINLAND
Referee: Rade Obrenovič SVNAssistant Referee 1: Jure Praprotnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Grega Kordež SVN
Fourth Official: Matej Jug SVN
Video Assistant Referee: Alen Borošak SVN
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Asmir Sagrković SVN
UEFA Referee Observer: Augustus Viorel Constantin ROU
UEFA Delegate: Andrey Medintsev BUL
Group J
20:45 CET - Brussels (Lotto Park)
BELGIUM - KAZAKHSTAN
Referee: Radu Marian Petrescu ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Radu Adrian Ștefan Ghinguleac ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Mircea Mihail Grigoriu ROU
Fourth Official: Andrei Florin Chivulete ROU
Video Assistant Referee: Cătălin Sorin Popa ROU
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Marcel Bîrsan ROU
UEFA Referee Observer: Lucílio Cardoso Cortez Batista POR
UEFA Delegate: Maria Mifsud MLT
Monday 8 September 2025
Group B
20:45 CET - Pristina (Stadiumi “Fadil Vokrri”)
KOSOVO - SWEDEN
Referee: Allard Lindhout NED
Assistant Referee 1: Rogier Honig NED
Assistant Referee 2: Johan Balder NED
Fourth Official: Joey Kooij NED
Video Assistant Referee: Clay Ruperti NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Jeroen Manschot NED
UEFA Referee Observer: Stávros Tritsónis GRE
UEFA Delegate: Patrick Duffy IRL
Group B
20:45 CET - Basel (St. Jakob-Park)
SWITZERLAND - SLOVENIA
Referee: François Letexier FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Cyril Mugnier FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Mehdi Rahmouni FRA
Fourth Official: Romain Lissorgue FRA
Video Assistant Referee: Jérôme Brisard FRA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Bastien Dechepy FRA
UEFA Referee Observer: Alfredo Trentalange ITA
UEFA Delegate: Jeroen Roest NED
Group C
20:45 CET - Zalaegerszeg, HUN (ZTE Aréna)
BELARUS - SCOTLAND
Referee: Nikola Dabanović MNE
Assistant Referee 1: Vladan Todorović MNE
Assistant Referee 2: Srđan Jovanović MNE
Fourth Official: Miloš Bošković MNE
Video Assistant Referee: Ivan Bebek CRO
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Mario Zebec CRO
UEFA Referee Observer: Alberto Undiano Mallenco ESP
UEFA Delegate: Aldi Topçiu ALB
Group C
20:45 CET - Piraeus (Stádio Geórgios Karaïskákis)
GREECE - DENMARK
Referee: Donatas Rumšas LTU
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandr Radiuš LTU
Assistant Referee 2: Dovydas Sužiedėlis LTU
Fourth Official: Robertas Valikonis LTU
Video Assistant Referee: Fedayi San SUI
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Donatas Šimėnas LTU
UEFA Referee Observer: David Fernández Borbalán ESP
UEFA Delegate: Thura Win ENG
Group I
20:45 CET - Debrecen, HUN (Nagyerdei Stadion)
ISRAEL - ITALY
Referee: Slavko Vinčič SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Tomaž Klančnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Andraž Kovačič SVN
Fourth Official: David Šmajc SVN
Video Assistant Referee: Christian Dingert GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Sascha Stegemann GER
UEFA Referee Observer: Chrístos Nikolaḯdis CYP
UEFA Delegate: Per Svärd SWE
Group L
20:45 CET - Gibraltar (Europa Point Stadium)
GIBRALTAR - FAROE ISLANDS
Referee: Mohammed Al-Hakim SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Mehmet Culum SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Fredrik Klyver SWE
Fourth Official: Joakim Östling SWE
Video Assistant Referee: Jan Boterberg BEL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Nathan Verboomen BEL
UEFA Referee Observer: João Francisco Lopes Ferreira POR
UEFA Delegate: Haraldur Haraldsson ISL
Group L
20:45 CET - Zagreb (Stadion Maksimir)
CROATIA - MONTENEGRO
Referee: Felix Zwayer GER
Assistant Referee 1: Robert Kempter GER
Assistant Referee 2: Christian Dietz GER
Fourth Official: Florian Badstübner GER
Video Assistant Referee: Bastian Dankert GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Katrin Rafalski GER
UEFA Referee Observer: Alain Sars FRA
UEFA Delegate: Filip Popovski MKD
I expect antonio nobre and luis godinho appointment
ReplyDeleteFelix Zwayer to Croatia - Montenegro on Monday
ReplyDeleteReferee : Felix Zwayer (GER)
AR1 : Robert Kempter (GER)
AR2 : Christian Dietz (GER)
FO : Florian Badstübner (GER)
VAR : Bastian Dankert (GER)
AVAR : Katrin Rafalski (GER)
Source : DFB Schiris Instagram
Vladimir Šajn (SVN) is appointed for the Slavia Praga - Bodo Glimt game…Maybe a debut?
ReplyDeleteAnother Slovenian!?
ReplyDeleteOT: Anyone know what happened with Paul Tierney, is he still active as main referee?
ReplyDeleteAs far as I know, Tierney hasn't appeared as main referee (or 4th official) in PL or cup competitions since May 2024. No main/4th appointments for the whole 24/25 season and nothing yet in 25/26. Lots of VAR appointments though.
DeleteThere was a note somewhere that he was appointed 4th official in a pre-season game back in August (Fulham v Frankfurt, I believe). This hinted he may come back. But this information may have been false - I didn't see the match and 4th official appointments for friendly matches are not well documented :). Or perhaps it was true but only because it was a friendly game.
I don't think there was ever an announcement, but it appears he is only VAR now. Who knows if he'll return as main referee, he is 44 so still has time but I guess it depends what the reason for him stepping back was.
POLAND – FINLAND is nothing less than a fight for the play-off spot. And possibly even more, should the Netherlands falter.
ReplyDeleteAn Elite referee would not have been out of place for such a match. Instead, UEFA assigns a Category 1 official – one whose last season was far from convincing. The question is: why?
Same situation in Republic of Ireland-Hungary. This match can decide second place of the group while Anthony Taylor got a crystal clear Armenia-Portugal. But you know Italy needs an Elite referee all of matches. But I think Harm Osmers is a better option for a fight for the play-off sport, than Rade Obrenovic.
DeleteSanchez yesterday??? The laws: When a throw-inn is taken from the wrong place, the throw-inn shall go over to the opponent! Time 89.27 Slovenian can take it again instead going over to Sweden and they score after after that. The referees goes they own way too early ften without actions from responsible persons! 66.25 Why not a caution?
ReplyDeleteRumsas? Someone is joking...
ReplyDeleteItaly seems to be getting very special treatment, just as some had predicted here. Will Germany receive the same treatment after their first defeat? I doubt it. In Germany, the spotlight is far less on the referee. In Italy, the referee is quickly made the scapegoat, whereas in Germany the criticism is aimed at Die Mannschaft’s performance. And of course, Rosetti is mindful of his own reputation… :)
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, we’re seeing a lot of big Elite names, and I wonder whether those same referees will also be appointed for UCL Matchday 1 — assignments that were decided before the WC qualification matches had even been played.
It is indeed a special treatment, I'm sorry for some readers who think that same would be done with other (big) national teams, but what I observed in the years is clear to me. It wasn't difficult to think that after Pinheiro for a game like Italy - Estonia, an even bigger referee would have got Israel - Italy. Even more because the game will be discussed outside the pitch. Rosetti mostly care about that, what is technical follows maybe in second instance.
DeleteAnd.. you can see they have changed the VAR for him, after all we discussed on the blog, the same was shared by committee and here you have Dingert (coming from the DEN - SCO mistake, in my opinion). Strange that Dankert is not appointed if I have missed something, maybe he is not available.
But Borosak is ok with Obrenovic...that's how it works, committee makes choices based on how much a game is important for THEM (mediatic or not), not that much based on the potential development of a referee.
Dankert appointed as Zwayer’s VAR in Zagreb.
DeleteBy the way, four Dutch refs in this qualifying round – pretty unusual. I suspect one of them was a replacement or a last-minute call. Maybe Gözübüyük with Carballo – the KNVB didn’t publish his appointment either. Instead, on Monday they accidentally posted the DM and SVDE appointments way too early… and then quickly took them down again ;)
ReplyDeleteYes, the fact that KNVB didn't publish the assignment could indicate that Gozubuyuk was a late replacement and maybe Velasco was planned to observe another referee. Of course we can't be sure but given that they publish all assignments very quickly and when this doesn't happen, one can't find a real explanation.
Delete