Tuesday, 24 March 2026

2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers - Referee appointments for UEFA Play-Offs (Semifinals)

Referees in charge of 2026 FIFA World Cup UEFA Play-Offs Semifinals, game to be played on Thursday 26 March 2026. 


UEFA Playoffs for WC 2026, Semifinals 

Thursday 26 March 2026

Path A Semi-Final
20:45 CET - Bergamo (New Balance Arena)
ITALY - NORTHERN IRELAND
Referee: Danny Makkelie NED
Assistant Referee 1: Hessel Steegstra NED
Assistant Referee 2: Jan de Vries NED
Fourth Official: Jesús Gil Manzano ESP
Video Assistant Referee: Pol van Boekel NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Jeroen Manschot NED
FIFA Referee Assessor: Markus Nobs SUI
FIFA Match Commissioner: Milovan Đukanović MNE

Path A Semi-Final
20:45 CET - Cardiff (Cardiff City Stadium)
WALES - BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
Referee: Istvan Kovacs ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Mihai Marius Marica ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Ferencz Tunyogi ROU
Fourth Official: Tobias Stieler GER
Video Assistant Referee: Dennis Johan Higler NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee:
FIFA Referee Assessor: Marinus Koopman NED
FIFA Match Commissioner: Andrey Medintsev BUL

Path B Semi-Final
20:45 CET - Valencia, ESP (Estadi Ciutat de València)
UKRAINE - SWEDEN
Referee: João Pedro da Silva Pinheiro POR
Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Miguel Alves de Jesus POR
Assistant Referee 2: Luciano António Gomes Maia POR
Fourth Official: Erik Lambrechts BEL
Video Assistant Referee: Tiago Bruno Lopes Martins POR
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: André Filipe Domingues da Silva Narciso POR
FIFA Referee Assessor: Juan Antonio Fernández Marín ESP
FIFA Match Commissioner: Scott Struthers SCO

Path B Semi-Final
20:45 CET - Warsaw (PGE Narodowy)
POLAND - ALBANIA
Referee: Anthony Taylor ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Gary Beswick ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Nunn ENG
Fourth Official: Donatas Rumšas LTU
Video Assistant Referee: Jarred Gillett AUS/ENG
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Michael Salisbury ENG
FIFA Referee Assessor: Kóstas Kapitanís CYP
FIFA Match Commissioner: Georges Lüchinger LIE

Path C Semi-Final
18:00 CET - Istanbul (Tüpraş Stadyumu)
TÜRKIYE - ROMANIA
Referee: François Letexier FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Cyril Mugnier FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Mehdi Rahmouni FRA
Fourth Official: Benoît Bastien FRA
Video Assistant Referee:
Assistant Video Assistant Referee:
FIFA Referee Assessor: Elmir Pilav BIH
FIFA Match Commissioner: Emil Ubias CZE

Path C Semi-Final
20:45 CET - Bratislava (Národný futbalový štadión)
SLOVAKIA - KOSOVO
Referee: Espen Andreas Eskås NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Erik Engan NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Isaak Elias Skjeseth Bashevkin NOR
Fourth Official: Nicholas Walsh SCO
Video Assistant Referee: Rob Dieperink NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Clay Ruperti NED
FIFA Referee Assessor: Lucílio Cardoso Cortez Batista POR
FIFA Match Commissioner: István Huszár HUN

Path D Semi-Final
20:45 CET - Copenhagen (Parken - Connected by 3)
DENMARK - NORTH MACEDONIA
Referee: Felix Zwayer GER
Assistant Referee 1: Robert Kempter GER
Assistant Referee 2: Dominik Schaal GER
Fourth Official: Daniel Siebert GER
Video Assistant Referee: Bastian Dankert GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Sascha Stegemann GER
FIFA Referee Assessor: William Young SCO
FIFA Match Commissioner: João Morais POR

Path D Semi-Final
20:45 CET - Prague (Fortuna Arena)
CZECH REPUBLIC - REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
Referee: Glenn Nyberg SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Mahbod Beigi SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Andreas Söderkvist SWE
Fourth Official: Halil Umut Meler TUR
Video Assistant Referee: Bram Van Driessche BEL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández ESP
FIFA Referee Assessor: Stefan Meßner AUT
FIFA Match Commissioner: Jacques Antenen SUI
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32 comments:

  1. Chefren24 March 2026 at 09:11

    It is confirned Hernández Hernández included in WC seminar. Group 1. I cant update post mow but it's confirmed. Late addition by FIFA committee. More to follow

    ReplyDelete
  2. MarCZE24 March 2026 at 10:06

    OT: Mass arrest are currently happening in Czech football as dozens of people including first league referees have been arrested in suspicion of corruption and match-fixing due to illegal betting. No info about names yet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MarCZE24 March 2026 at 10:38

      FIFA referee Jan Všetečka, VAR Miroslav Zelinka and former FIFA Ref Jan Petřík are rumoured to be among those arrested.

      Delete
    2. MH_svk24 March 2026 at 13:35

      These three names already confirmed by TV Nova and source it FA ethic committee

      Delete
  3. professionalism24 March 2026 at 10:12

    Mariani and Peljto from Group 2 of the seminar have no match assigned, while Nyberg from Group 1 is officiating CZE-IRL. How is that possible?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mikael W24 March 2026 at 10:21

      The groups changed on 20th March.
      The second group is now playoff semifinalists + Marciniak/Peljto.

      Delete
    2. Philipp S24 March 2026 at 10:30

      So possibly, the initial referee for CZE-IRL was moved to Marciniak's final.

      And it means Hernandez, Oliver, Turpin, Sanchez, Schärer and Vincic are the options for the finals, right. (And someone could still go to Mexico.) So at least one not obvious appointment will happen.

      Delete
    3. Philipp S24 March 2026 at 10:48

      Mariani as well possible for the finals (and maybe more likely than Schärer and the Spanish refs).

      Delete
  4. M_24 March 2026 at 10:14

    Italy - N. Ireland: Makkelie
    Wales - Bosnia: Kovacs
    Ukraine - Sweden: Pinheiro
    Poland - Albania: Taylor
    Slovakia - Kosovo: Eskås
    Czechia - Ireland: Nyberg

    Two names still missing

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. RefNewGen24 March 2026 at 12:16

      Makkelie in Italy <3. Very nice appointment

      Delete
  5. professionalism24 March 2026 at 10:14

    Letexier is officiating in Turkey, Makkelie in Italy, Kovács in Wales, Pinheiro is refereeing UKR–SWE, Taylor in Poland, Eskås in Slovakia, Zwayer in Denmark, and Nyberg in the Czech Republic.

    ReplyDelete
  6. professionalism24 March 2026 at 10:18

    Irfan Peljto has been appointed for the UEFA Nations League play-offs match between Malta and Luxembourg. Realistically speaking, this appointment almost certainly confirms that he won’t be on the final list for the FIFA World Cup.

    Ivan Kružliak will officiate the clash between Gibraltar and Latvia.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mikael W24 March 2026 at 10:30

      I'm really sorry for Peljto, this appointment is a humiliation and should not have happened. Refereeing managers (I mean at UEFA in this instance) shouldn't behave like this.

      Delete
    2. Euro Soccer Ref24 March 2026 at 10:34

      To be honest, both referees appointed to the UNL play-offs are the eliminated WC candidates. Maybe just a nice gesture for the teams involved?

      Delete
    3. professionalism24 March 2026 at 10:35

      You’re right, Mikael. With this move, he’s been more humiliated than if he hadn’t been appointed at all. A referee who officiated the Conference League final last season, handled one of the best matches of last year (RMA–ARS), and after getting only 2 Champions League games out of a possible 12, is now facing this. Unbelievable.
      I still believe he’s better than most elite referees, but it feels like he’s heading towards the same fate as Srdan Jovanović… I’m sorry I even have to say that.

      Delete
    4. Holly24 March 2026 at 12:19

      If you are not from Slovenia, Italy, France, Germany, Spain or England, the slightest mistake is enough to send you back to the bottom of Rossetti.

      Delete
  7. Euro Soccer Ref24 March 2026 at 10:26

    As for Hernández Hernández' inclusion:
    You prematurely exclude the best elite Spaniard (Gil Manzano), then you deem the other one (Sánchez Martínez) not at the WC-level, so you select the worst one (Hernández Hernández) - and really one of the worst current elite referees, with due respect - for the last-minute seminar when he was not even close to the selection before. You are Collina/Busacca/Velasco (whoever's made this weird move). Find the logic...

    ... and then tell Siebert(!), Gözübüyük(!), Meler, Peljto that Hdz Hdz is better and deserve the WC nomination more than them. FIFA at its finest.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. professionalism24 March 2026 at 10:38

      I claim that if Alejandro Hernández Hernández didn’t have a Spanish passport, he wouldn’t even be in the elite category. What’s going on with FIFA and UEFA?

      Delete
  8. HB230024 March 2026 at 10:45

    The 4.officials, all from different countries and all of them is elite referees... is this a new decision by UEFA?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. professionalism24 March 2026 at 10:47

      This is a common practice that always happens in the play-offs. It’s not the first time.

      Delete
    2. HB230024 March 2026 at 10:50

      thanks

      Delete
  9. Thientrn24 March 2026 at 11:27

    Hello admin, I have a question: With the injury to Polish referee Szymon Marciniak, does this mark the end of what might be his last FIFA World Cup appearance? Furthermore, will the inclusion of referee Alejandro Hernandez (Spain) in the Group 1 training squad disappoint many referees? This is because Alejandro Hernandez is more often trained as a video assistant referee (VAR/AVAR) than as a main referee on the field.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Peter24 March 2026 at 11:30

    If Michael Oliver – probably England's number 1 ahead of Anthony Taylor – were to referee a final, in my opinion only Path C would remain, since Path A (NIR), Path B (Taylor) and Path D (IRL) would be rather unfortunate assignments. At the same time, I wonder which path would be suitable for Slavko Vincic, as there could be a certain geographical proximity in all four of them (Path A: BIH, Path B: ALB, Path C: KOS, Path D: MKD). Maybe rather an inter-confederation play-off for the Slovenian?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. M_24 March 2026 at 11:42

      Predictions for finals:
      A: Turpin
      B Sánchez Martínez / Mariani
      C Oliver
      D Vincic

      Delete
    2. Philipp S24 March 2026 at 12:38

      I assume, that Vincic would be OK for ALB (he has refereed them in EURO qualifiers already), as they have not been part of Yugoslavia.
      But yes, the inter-confed play-offs remains the blackbox.
      If there is no UEFA referee, the solution should be like M_ wrote or with B and D switched.

      Delete
  11. HB230024 March 2026 at 11:41

    François for the first time in the turkish stadiums.. I think it will also be his first time officiating in such a unique atmosphere. It will be a different experience for him

    ReplyDelete
  12. Abdiaziz ahmed yousuf24 March 2026 at 12:07

    I don't see Mr Anonymous where is ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. lukas08624 March 2026 at 12:40

      Coming up with a conspiracy theory in 3, 2, 1 ...

      Delete
  13. pirri24 March 2026 at 12:07

    Any European referee involved in the International playoff matches?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Treff24 March 2026 at 13:54

    Wellcome Letexier, For me, he is actively the best referee in the world right now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Treff24 March 2026 at 13:59

      I would like to see Meler at this stage, but it seems impossible, I think only World Cup candidate referees can work , right?

      Delete

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