Appointments of match officials at 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, Quarterfinals.
Friday 4 July 2025, 21:00 CET
Camping World Stadium, Orlando
Fluminense (BRA) - Al Hilal (KSA)
Referee: Danny Makkelie NED
Assistant Referee 1: Hessel Steegstra NED
Assistant Referee 2: Jan de Vries NED
Fourth Official: Said Martinez HON
Fifth Official:Walter Lopez HON
Video Assistant Referee: Rob Dieperink NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Jerome Brisard FRA
Support Video Assistant Referee: Carlos Del Cerro Grande ESP
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Referee: Alireza Faghani IRN / AUS
Assistant Referee 1: Anton Shchetinin AUS
Assistant Referee 2: Ashley Beecham AUS
Fourth Official: Ilgiz Tantashev UZB
Fifth Official: Andrey Tsapenko UZB
Video Assistant Referee: Khamis Al Marri QAT
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Shaun Evans AUS
Support Video Assistant Referee: Bastian Dankert GER
Saturday 5 July 2025, 18:00 CET
Mercedes Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Paris Saint Germain (FRA) - Bayern München (GER) Mercedes Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Referee: Anthony Taylor ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Gary Beswick ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Nunn ENG
Fourth Official: Glenn Nyberg SWE
Fifth Official: Andreas Söderkvist SWE
Video Assistant Referee: Ivan Bebek CRO
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Marco Di Bello ITA
Support Video Assistant Referee: Tatiana Guzman NCA
Saturday 5 July 2025, 22:00 CET
MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
Real Madrid (ESP) - Borussia Dortmund GER) MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
Referee: Ramon Abatti BRA
Assistant Referee 1: Danilo Manis BRA
Assistant Referee 2: Rafael Alves BRA
Fourth Official: Cristián Garay CHI
Fifth Official: José Retamal CHI
Video Assistant Referee:Nicolas Gallo COL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Guillermo Pacheco MEX
Support Video Assistant Referee: Juan Lara CHI
Psg vs bayern munich cesar artur ramos
ReplyDeleteReal madrid vs dortmund christian garay
My expectations
July
ReplyDeleteIf Makkelie in Flu-AlHilal, maybe:
ReplyDeletePSG vs Bayern: Eskas
Real vs BVB: Oliver
Eskås wasn’t good at all in LAFC-Esperance and he has 3 games as fourth official in a row so…i don’t think so.
DeleteMy prediction on finals
ReplyDeleteOliver/Ramos
Perfect game for Makkelie in a Qf. W FIFA
ReplyDeleteI think That Walter Lopes is from Guatemala . No from Honduras
ReplyDeletePleased to see Makkelie on duty. Collina is Collina, meritocracy still has some place. Faghani was predictable, but IMO somehow he's protected. Why not send him to UEFA clash? If Al Hilal going home and signs of Collina’s favoritism are arising, IMO Faghani would have his chance to get 4th assignment. My predictions: I expect Taylor in RMABVB and Cesar Ramos in PSGFBM (difficult to find another name if not broke neutrality and R16 repeated like Tello). Beida is another name but would be landmark assignment if he get a UEFA clash in his "debut".
ReplyDeleteWalter lopez is am assistant referee from Honduras and Walter Lopes is a Guatemala referee. Sorry
ReplyDeleteBoth heated matches. Marcos Leonardo (Al Hilal) use to score agains't Fluminense while he was playing at Santos.
ReplyDeletePalmeiras with a terrible record with Chelsea and a trauma after they lost the Intercontinental Cup 2021.
Makkelie with a good tournament, while it's now clear that there was all Collina's focus on Faghani, expected to have this path in all cases, unless extremely poor performances. Many things were planned before the start of the tournament, it's very hard to understand how much technical assessment has been made. For example, the referee from UZB, at the end of his experience, given the FO role with Faghani, could have definitely got another game. He performed similarly, I will not say better, but at least on a similar level to Faghani, but you have Faghani ahead. That's how it seems FIFA works.
ReplyDeleteAbout the other two games, now it becomes difficult for Beida, nevertheless, having to make a choice between the two, I would see him rather in Real - Borussia, than the other with Bayern and PSG.
This would be an oustanding assignment, but at this point I rather think it will not happen (wishing that I'm wrong). The sad thing would be to see Ramos in one of those games, and we can be definitely afraid that it will happen.
But if Faghani and Tantashev performed on the same level, it is quite logical to give Faghani the bigger assignments, because he is far ahead in terms of experience and reputation. Nothing wrong about that IMO.
Delete(1) Why hasn’t VAR/AVAR/SVAR been announced yet?
ReplyDelete(2) Why have the above appointments not yet been published on the FIFA website?
PSG vs BM Beida
ReplyDeleteRMD vs BVB Abatti
Am I the only one assuming that, in case of Inter-City quarter-final, Turpin would have been the natural choice over Makkelie?
ReplyDeleteAnd that the unexpected Fluminense–Al Hilal fixture may have “forced” a reshuffle in the FIFA’s plans?
Your opinion could be correct. I agree
DeleteCollina is well-known for carefully matching refereeing styles to the nature of each game. Turpin’s laid-back approach is likely not ideal for a fixture like Fluminense vs Al Hilal—especially considering there are several Brazilians in the Saudi side.
DeleteI expect Makkelie will be facing a very(!) challenging match and needs to be on top of his level.
I actually think Faghani might have been on Fluminense-City, should that have come to fruition. And Al-Hilal advancing prompted the scramble there.
DeleteIf meritocracy truly prevails, Ramos should be out. Beida should get PSGBAY and Turpin RMABVB.
ReplyDeleteMy predictions:
ReplyDeletePSG vs Bayern: Eskas/Nyberg
Real vs BVB: Oliver
Fluminense - Al Hilal vs Palmeiras / Chelsea: Letexier/Turpin
PSG/Bayern vs Real/BVB: Tello
Final: Marciniak
IMO all 4th official referees in 1/8 have just been out as main referee at this tournament. Final for sure no for Marciniak, Taylor or Valenzuela because all of them have World Club Final in their CV.
DeleteI think believing that FIFA will treat previous CWCs the same as this one is wrong. It is the same tournament in name, but not in practice. In prior situations, you essentially had referees pre-assigned with maybe a 50/50 chance for two referees in the final, based on who progressed. In some situations, the referees for the latter matches arrived late to the tournament, in fact. It wasn't like this with a full-month tournament and a base camp and multiple assignments for (most) referees.
DeleteNot to say one of those referees WILL get the final (I still think Oliver is the favorite if Chelsea are eliminated). But I definitely think they can.
My dear friends, I know we are discussing the refereeing schedules for this Club World Cup, but let us not forget to turn our thoughts to the family of Diogo Jota, a Liverpool and Portuguese national team player, who lost his life prematurely in a car accident in Spain along with his brother. Our condolences to his family and friends.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteAgree, completely devastating. 🕊️
DeleteRight ! our thoughts and condolences for this human tragedy
Delete🇪🇸 Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund 🇩🇪
ReplyDeleteA: Ramon Abatti 🇧🇷
🇫🇷 Paris Saint-Germain vs FC Bayern München 🇩🇪
A: Anthony Taylor 🏴
Source: ArbitroInternacional
I don't I understand appointment of Anthony taylor who does officiate any big match in this either champions league or europe league
ReplyDeleteTaylor isn’t a consistent performer: sometimes good and sometimes bad, often careless. You never know what to expect from him.
DeleteI genuinely don’t think anyone predicted Taylor and Makkelie to feature in a quarter-final - not before the tournament, and not during it either. I haven’t watched their performances. Are their appointments based on meritocracy? Or could this be a case of “compensation”, perhaps due to their declining reputations within UEFA? Or are there doubts about their inclusion for World Cup 2026, and are they now being tested? Age might also be a factor.
ReplyDeleteTaylor surprises me in particular, considering UEFA kept him away from high-profile fixtures for an entire season after Spain–Germany. And now suddenly he’s in charge of PSG–Bayern in a quarter-final. Remarkable.
Has there been any official confirmation yet of referees who’ve already been sent home? Normally, during World Cups, that kind of news doesn’t stay under wraps for long, does it?
I am not surprised at all. Makkelie did not have a very bad season - like some of the contributers here wanna make us believe -, for dubious reasons he only did nog get any appointments in UEFA KO stage competitions. But that has noting to do with FIFA. At CWC he was good so a KO match is perfectly normal.
DeleteTaylor was not bad either at CWC and is a very experienced referee, so why not appoint him in KO-stage?
I think, before the tournament all UEFA referees except maybe Eskas and Nyberg had relatively equal chances for a QF appointment. Some like Taylor and Makkelie more due to their big experience, some like Kovacs, Letexier and Vincic more due to recent achievements. I would have considered none of them a surprise - actually even for a SF or the final.
DeleteFor me Abatti is more surprising, because I had seen Sampaio, Tello and Valenzuela clearly ahead of him.
And I am still surprised, that they didn't give Abatti the R16 and Sampaio the QF game.
It seems obvious to me that Collina is being remorseful for what he did to Makkelie and Taylor in 2022, making them stay until the end and have nothing, and he is trying to make up for it now.
ReplyDeleteTurpin is probably saying goodbye to the competition with just 2 games, while others below him play 3 games!
ReplyDeleteImo he still can get a SF if PSG is in the other one
Delete"Below"? What’s your justification then, or is it just a subjective assessment (simply favoritism)? I’m not against Turpin, he’s a great referee and many of the games he led were flawless, but iinm he got 1 OFR in the Ulsan match, so I wonder what your justification to "below"?
DeleteIf there is a BAY-RMA/BVB semifinal, he seems to be the most obvious solution, I think - unless they want to give that game to a CONMEBOL referee, of course.
DeleteWell at least we didn't see Ramos here, but maybe in SF :) (hopefully not). I don't know why many fans even referee enthusiast "hate" or didn't like Taylor at all. IMO he still great referee with great experiences and still "deserved" to get PSGFBM with his performance so far.
ReplyDeleteOr Ramos is saved for the final ;-)
DeleteAll CONCACAF teams are out.
I think we will see Ramos, Fischer or once again Barton in one of last three matches as main referee and Beida, but only as 4th ;) I can't imagine that Concacaf and Africa could be completely out at this KO stage.
DeleteI also somehow think, that CONCACAF needs to get another game.
DeleteOn the other hand, FIFA didn't care too much about satisfying all confederations at the last WCs with no AFC and no CAF referee in the KO stage in 2022 and only UEFA and CONMEBOL referees from the QF on in 2018.
Another observation from those WCs is the preference to give SFs to referees without previous KO games - which would be an argument for Ramos and Turpin here.
All jokes aside, they might choose to grant CONCACAF the final. Right? On paper, that would appear logical, given that there is guaranteed to be one UEFA team in the final, facing either a non-UEFA opponent (3-in-4 chance) or Chelsea (1-in-4 chance).
DeleteIn the semi-final, we can most likely expect Tello. Another possibility would be a UEFA referee for the final, with Ramos handling the semi-final—though I would personally prefer Barton. In that case, I echo usaref’s comment that Oliver stands a strong chance of being selected for the final. He is in excellent form; nevertheless, English clubs represent a recurring obstacle. In my view, Michael Oliver also deserved the 2025 UEFA Champions League final. Kovács is a very good referee, but three finals in four years gives the impression that the Romanian stands head and shoulders above the rest—which, in reality, is not the case.
Surely Faghani is a name for the final from AFC, CONMEBOL atm didn't have strong name, CONCACAF and CAF also. Ramos for the final surely a nightmare for football and also for Collina for FWC next year. Atm IMO even when Brazilian vs UEFA team on the final, the referee should be Faghani or a UEFA referee with FO could be Ramos :), simply this is first CWC that's "like FWC", so you must make landmark appointment, but a name like Abatti or Beida for the final could be a landmark too.
DeleteOh I forgot Tello :) He was strong enough to get the final.
DeletePalmeiras vs Chelsea FC
ReplyDeleteVidéo Assistant Referee: AL-MARRI Khamis (QAT)
Assistant Vidéo Assistant Referee : EVANS Shaun (AUS)
Support VAR : DANKERT Bastian (GER)
Fluminense FC vs Al Hilal
Vidéo Assistant Referee: DIEPERINK Rob (NED)
Assistant Vidéo Assistant Referee : BRISARD Jerome (FRA)
Support VAR : DEL CERRO GRANDE Carlos (ESP)
Hopefully this time Faghani passed the final test with another Qatari "Al Marri" :)
DeleteBrisard is from France
ReplyDeleteA few Al Hilal players and coaches approaching Makkelie when the cooling break was called. Not exactly sure what their problem is? 2 correct YCs so far and nothing else to report
ReplyDeleteThe amount of dissent with that penalty call and also after the change to drop ball. Insane image for the game.
ReplyDeleteWonder if all the people commenting on how UEFA refs deal "so much better" with dissent and mobbing have watched the last 5 min of this game. The reality is we all have implicit bias and the way dissent is being handled in this match is no different than all the referees who were criticized on this blog.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteWe'll Makkelie is also one of a kind.
DeleteYou cant tell me that refs like Zwayer,Siebert or Letexier are not better in dealing with mobbing rather than Ramos,anyone from CONCACAF or Tello or anyone from CONMEBOL.
Well*
DeleteGoing from a tripping foul live to "normal football contact" after review is puzzling to me...? Is it or is it not a foul? Is the fact that the attacker may not get the ball here important? Anyone care to explain/expand?
ReplyDeleteI agree with his explanation, I don't see the why "normal football contact" isn't satisfactory for you. If there is no tripping action from the defender, then we can say the players collided in a way that's normal in football, and therefore no foul was committed.
DeleteIn my opinion the call by Makkelie was not clear and obvious mistake, once called, you can read careless action by defender, I disagree with the VAR intervention and I would have supported the choice. Indeed the fact that attacker couldn't reach the ball, doesn't matter for a foul.
DeleteIn football there are some ouls and contacts that are grey area...
DeleteAll cant be black and white...
This grey area is more no penalty than penalty and that's why hewqs called.
If that decision was held,than soft penalty would have been called.
With replays,we see it's more no penalty than penalty.
That's why this is right decision.
But we saw that grey area was supported for way less,so I also dont understand var interv.
DeleteI agree with Chefren. Its not a situation for VAR
Delete@wzy3 I think for VAR purposes, once a defender collides on attacker, you can't deny the call by referee. Even if not a trip but just an action from behind. We have definitely too many nuances with VAR, it's impossible in my opinion to think that all these decisions should be always black or white ones...
DeleteAgreed with your comments. My point is that if you are going to overturn with VAR, the explanation of "normal contact" is the only suitable explanation to give, otherwise it makes no sense.
DeleteI agree with most that's been said. It probably was more of a normal football contact than foul. But there are arguments for a tripping foul, and I don't see the referee's call either way being a clear error so was surprised the VAR got involved. Again, the referee being able to speak clear English helps everyone understand the reasons
DeleteThanks all I guess I agree with @Chefren & @Oliver around it not being clear & obvious to overturn.
ReplyDeleteI often repeat this on the blog, and I want to write it once again: when VAR is used for penalty decisions, in my opinion, it no longer makes sense. There are too many nuances, most of the time, we are not dealing with a clear and obvious error. Just look at today’s match in the Women’s Euro as well. Do we really need VAR to step in for penalty calls? I think it’s time to reflect. The tool is powerful, but the way it’s currently used in top-level football, it often becomes the referee’s viewpoint on the field against the VAR’s idea. It should never be like that. Let alone the different use UEFA - FIFA, just to mention something else, unacceptable, what should a fan think?
ReplyDeleteOf course there are the true clear and obvious mistake, like a handball that never existed, or a simulation without contact, but the rest?
I agree on your point that too many OFRs happen without a clear error has been made.
DeleteWe should remember why VAR was implemented: Too stop these very clear, devastating mistakes. Not to remove penalties that you can give or can not give and nothing changes.
I agree that VAR is only useful when it actually focuses on the real, clear mistakes.
However, I think it is no possibility to remove VAR or, as you suggest, to stop VAR getting involved in PAIs.
In modern football, very big mistakes related to (often crucial) penalties are simply unacceptable and there needs to be a way to correct them, since they can happen all the time, no matter which referee is involved
How you can say its clear or not about any moment ... For example about this one if we show that moment any seminar every referee will say it is play on ... So what does it mean? It is clear 🙃
DeleteVAR has problems because the laws of the game is not followed. Especially never law 12. If you would go strictly by law 12 then all holdings, pushes, kicks etc would be called. This problem will never go away because players simulate and refs don't enforce the laws as they are written.
DeleteImo that should be a penalty for foul on Koulibaly. There is mutual holding initially but only before the corner is taken, but I can accept no intervention
ReplyDeleteAgree
DeleteWow very interesting simulation decision
ReplyDeleteDefinitely exaggerated reaction from koulibaly but never a simulation.
DeleteYou could argue for a penalty there
There was the possiblity of contact, but the way he went down in no way matched that contact. Strong and correct from Makkelie
DeleteI agree with simulation, and should be 2YC after missed reckless tackle earlier where Makkelie played advantage
DeleteHe is clearly kicked in the back of the leg. I have never seen this given as simulation despite the reaction to the foul not matching the contact.
DeleteWhat a last couple of minutes with Coulibaly and Makkelie as main protagonists.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen that referee is hit at a shot on the goal. Very bad positioning from Makkelie. Also bad positioning at the wrong penalty decision.
ReplyDeleteYou have never seen it? Look at this great save: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qruhGfyKENc
DeleteHow would you rate makkelie’s game overall.. caught the last 15 mins and was quite shaky
ReplyDeleteGiven the initial 15 minutes of instability, I can't be sure that this was a perfect performance by Makkelie because it wasn't.
ReplyDeleteNotes: The cameras didn't catch it, but a reporter said he saw the Al-Hilal goalkeeper push Makkelie after he protested vehemently at the end of the match.
*end
ReplyDelete