Referee assignments at 2025 FIFA Interconinental Cup, the second edition of the tournament.
First round: The winners of the 2024–25 CAF Champions League will play the winners of the 2025 OFC Champions League in the "FIFA African–Asian–Pacific Cup play-off". The match will be hosted by the club from the country with the higher ranking in the FIFA Men's World Ranking.
First Round
FIFA African–Asian–Pacific Cup Play-off
30 June Stadium, Cairo (Egypt)
14 September 2025, 21:00 CET
Pyramids FC (EGY) - Auckland City FC (NZL)
Referee: Adham Makhadmeh JOR
Assistant Referee 1: Mohammad Al-Khalaf JOR
Assistant Referee 2: Ahmad Al-Ruwaili JOR
Fourth Official: Adel Al-Naqbi UAE
Video Assistant Referee: Mohammed Obaid Khadem UAE
Video Assistant Referee: Mohammed Obaid Khadem UAE
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Easa Khalifa Ahmed Al-Hajeri UAE
In parallel, the winners of the 2025 Copa Libertadores and the winners of the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup will play each other at a neutral venue in a match that will be denominated the "FIFA Derby of the Americas".
Second Round
FIFA African–Asian–Pacific Cup
King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia)
23 September 2025, 20:00 CET
Al-Ahli SFC (KSA) - Pyramids FC (EGY)
Referee: Istvan Kovacs ROU
Assistant Referee 1: Mihai Marica ROU
Assistant Referee 2: Ferencz Tunyogi ROU
Fourth Official: Marian Barbu ROU
Video Assistant Referee: Dennis Johan Higler NED
Video Assistant Referee: Dennis Johan Higler NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Catalin Popa ROU
FIFA Derby of the Americas
Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan (Qatar)
10 December 2025, 18:00 CET
Cruz Azul (MEX) - CR Flamengo (BRA)
Referee: Glenn Nyberg SWE
Assistant Referee 1: Mahbod Beigi SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Andreas Söderkvist SWE
Fourth Official: Espen Andreas Eskas NORFifth Official: Jan Erik Engan NOR
Video Assistant Referee: Fedayi San SUI
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Jarred Gillett ENG/AUS
Play-off: The winners of the second round matches will play each other in the "FIFA Challenger Cup".
Play-Off
FIFA Challenger Cup
Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan (Qatar)
13 December 2025, 18:00 CET
CR Flamengo (BRA) - Pyramids FC (EGY)
Referee: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim QAT
Assistant Referee 1: Taleb Al-Marri QAT
Assistant Referee 2: Saoud Al Maqaleh QAT
Fourth Official: Juan Gabriel Calderón CRC
Fifth Official: Juan Carlos Mora CRC
Video Assistant Referee: Khamis Al-Marri QAT
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Sivakorn Pu-Udom THA
Final
Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan (Qatar)
17 December 2025, 18:00 CET
Paris Saint Germain (FRA) - CR Flamengo (BRA)
Referee: Ismail Elfath USA
Assistant Refere 1: Corey Parker USA
Assistant Referee 2: Kyle Atkins USA
Fourth Official: Amin Mohamed EGY
Fifth Official: Mahmoud Abouelregal EGY
Video Assistant Referee: Allen Chapman USA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Jarred Gillett ENG/AUS
Support Video Assistant Referee: Antonio Garcia URU
Fifth Official: Mahmoud Abouelregal EGY
Video Assistant Referee: Allen Chapman USA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Jarred Gillett ENG/AUS
Support Video Assistant Referee: Antonio Garcia URU
Big mistake in my opinion for Manzano issuing a straight red card to Huijsen in Sociedad-Madrid game. Any opinions on this?
ReplyDeleteThere was a second defender there imo (and no OFR)... But should be interesting to see the thoughts here given how many opinions we had on Turpin's decision in Serbia-ENG.
DeleteFor me, it can never be DOGSO.
DeleteConsiderable distance and with a Defender in the play in question!
Absolutely not DOGSO. Imo VAR should intervene
DeleteVideo: https://streambug.org/cv/4646a5
DeleteIn my opinion not a DOGSO but SPA.
However, I don't see the VAR intervention as mandatory, a small argument that you can see this one as DOGSO. It's always hard without fixed criteria and mostly grey areas. In the opinion of the referee maybe the other defender could have done nothing. It will be interesting to hear the communication with VAR, if published by VAR, to understand whether the latter asked the referee for some key questions before confirming.
To me, this is much more of a red card than the one in the match in Belgrade three days ago.
DeleteHow is this *more* DOGSO than the Kane one? That's ludicrous.
DeleteThis isn't DOGSO because a second defender is closer to goal and will absolutely get to challenge before the attacker reaches the penalty area. The opportunity to score is not obvious.
Kane took a touch slightly to the corner flag to evade a challenge. But he was 100% in on goal and was never going to be challenged.
Some people need to focus more on the practical than the theoretical. There's more to refereeing than reading the Laws and watching PowerPoint presentations.
I agree huge mistake from him 🤢 never a red card tho... Hope that he will be suspended at least for few matches... #justice for real
DeleteThis just isn’t a DOGSO, Jesus Gil Manzano always makes decisions that nobody else would make..
ReplyDeleteYea but not only him all refrees in spain make's bad decisions... All bad decisions goes against real 😢 I don't know whats wrong with la Liga refs 😵💫/they are lost in space 😵
DeleteLooks like Paul Tierney did an U21 game last night. First game for him in over a year I believe. Brooks also listed as doing a Carabao (EFL) Cup game on Tuesday after missing the u21 euros and the start of this season.
ReplyDeleteGood performance from Andrea Colombo in today's Juventus vs Inter. (Too) much prevention in the first ten minutes of the game, then good to not issue a YC for SPA-like foul in 29' and extremely intelligent refereeing with cautioning Koopmeiners for a similar offence four minutes later - neither SPA nor reckless but a deliberate late tripping that stopped a fast running player, Colombo could've faced problems not stepping in after this one. Juventus coach warned after his second dissenting behaviour (41', 49') and he didn't repeat it, so it worked. Two YCs for reckless tackles were cristal clear (70', 85'). Quite interesting incident when frustrated Juventus player threw the ball in the direction of the referee after he whistled for a delayed offside flag, difficult to read his mind, so it's also possible he just threw it to opponents. (81'). The most controversial incident took place in 90+1', at Juventus' winning goal - potential foul (illegal use of arm) in APP. Mazzoleni didn't intervene, what is your view?
ReplyDeletehttps://streambug.org/cv/71cd4c
Btw, today was the first time that a referee had a bodycam in Serie A (a little camera attached to his earpiece, you can see the replays in the video above)
Real Madrid - Marseille: Peltjo (Higler)
ReplyDeleteAthletic - Arsenal: Rumsas (van Boekel)
Good match for Rumsas
DeletePenalty call by Kovacs:
ReplyDeletehttps://streambug.org/cv/69e942
In my opinion, the right decision.
Deleteclear penatly
DeleteDouble promotion at UEFA.
ReplyDeleteErik Lambrechts (BEL) joins the UEFA Elite, while Jasper Vergoote (BEL) steps up to Category First.
https://www.rbfa.be/nl/nieuws/erik-lambrechts-en-jasper-vergoote-promoveren-op-uefa-niveau
DeleteThe news on Belgian federation's site.
Congratulations to Lambrechts, who was under focus after Visser and now got this promotion.
However I think that his way to Elite was definitely shorter (rather than "easier") if compared to other referees, including Visser who had many tries but he failed. Now he should raise the level with more challenging games, as I wrote in the last occasion in a comment about him, I didn't have the feeling that he got a full scrutiny by committe, differently from other referees, but that's just my perception.
Let's wait and see now about the others, hopefully we will have the PDF with new categories soon.
Other names I expect: Elite: Obrenovic,Rumsas,Jablonski
DeleteAccording to the info I can collect, the process of creating the new lists is in progress. Belgian federation was very quick in releasing and publishing the news! Maybe they did that immediately after the notification to the directly involved referees.
DeleteFinale de la Coupe intercontinentale de la FIFA 2025 : Elfath (États-Unis)
ReplyDelete17 décembre 2025
Paris St. Germain – Flamengo
Arbitre : Ismail Elfath USA (photo)
Arbitre assistant 1 : Corey Parker USA
Arbitre assistant 2 : Kyle Atkins USA
Quatrième arbitre : Amin Omar
Réserve EGY AR : Mahmoud El-Regal EGY
VAR : Allen Chapman USA
AVAR : Jarred Gillet ENG
SVAR : Antonio Garcia URU
I guess that we have to ways to see the appointment of Intercontinental cup final: it is just a pure friendly match or Elfath grants a special treatment to be sent directly to a FIFA competition final match, just to be pushed for attending WC26. Maybe half and half with the advent of the Club Fifa WC, the Intercontinental competition loses his appeal and importance on other side Tory Penso cannot be the only representative of hosting country. Never mind a good achievement
ReplyDeleteBall seems out before PSG goal.
ReplyDelete32' YC can be OK, I think opponent made a bit of scene, still very dangerous action but maybe even no contact at all and in this case only indirect free kick (not given anymore in modern football).
ReplyDelete2 yellows cards for psg players for very little
ReplyDeleteNot a final approach by Elfath who was very strict in this game. Could have managed it differently, but as pure refereeing Lover, one should like the style. AR should have detected ball out, for me evident but always challenging when in the air and not on the ground. Rather easy game, despite of the cards he issued so far. PSG scored with minimum effort. We will see second half.
ReplyDelete58' very clear penalty missed by US Referee, OFR to follow.
ReplyDeleteVery clear… interesting topic. I’m actually quite convinced that this penalty would never be called in a game without VAR.
DeleteI can understand Elfath’s opinion : zero dynamics, ball almost lost, attacker making a scene of it, minimal contact.
That said, with VAR, analyzing the amplified slo-mo contact, obvious penalty. But VAR made this kind of contact worthy of a PK. Not football.
I agree. VAR has distorted the game.
DeleteAnd now, a similar foul not punished. Hard to understand why the first foul meets the threshold for a VAR overturn and not the second one…
ReplyDeleteAbout the penalty shoot-out, i think VAR missed a big call here
ReplyDeletehttps://x.com/fcb_shaw/status/2001379136955449800
Why did VAR turn a blind eye? Not that I'm creating conspiracy theories, but could it be because PSG was playing "at home" in Qatar?
DeleteObviously not the reason but i'm curious about this, maybe the shooter did not take it correctly but don't really know what happened.
DeleteThe image that crn.ple linking to is not the point of contact when the ball is kicked, rather before. It is possible that the goalkeeper placed his foot back on the line but I have not seen any images of proof yet...
DeleteAgree can't find the perfect one but for me the images before and after the kick are the same here maybe a better one
Deletehttps://x.com/AlanFallabrino/status/2001389393223753818/photo/1
Same case like in OMASOM Arab Cup play-off. Also there the penalty was saved and not ordered to be retaken:
Deletehttps://snipboard.io/lquVhT.jpg
And here is the best available angle:
Deletehttps://snipboard.io/9dWtDC.jpg
I think based on this you can't be 100% sure therefore it's OK to keep the original call, unless VAR has better angles.
Do the LOTG make it clear if the keeper have to touch the line or even if he's above it but not touching it, it's correct ?
DeleteThat is correct. "When the ball is kicked, the defending goalkeeper must have at least part of
Deleteone foot touching, in line with, or behind, the goal line." I agree with ESR that there is not a 'smoking gun' that the goalkeeper offended, therefore ok to keep the call.
Highlights of the final performance:
ReplyDeletehttps://files.fm/u/ef957mvgan
In my view, Elfath did not convincingly manage the final. In the opening phase of the match, Flamingo committed far too many fouls aimed at clearly disrupting PSG’s rhythm and this was never fully brought under control. While he penalized most of the infringements, he was unable to effectively stop the pattern due to a lack of a proactive approach.
ReplyDeleteI also felt that his body language and authority lacked strength and conviction. He used many expansive gestures, but these were rarely functional or impactful. The players appeared to sense that they could push the limits with him and at times even go beyond them.
The missed penalty incident was detectable and was reasonably comparable to the penalty situation in extra time that was not awarded to PSG. Additionally, the scissor tackle from behind in the 96th minute should, in my view, have resulted in a red card.
Naturally, officiating a match between these two teams is extremely challenging and comes with a high level of theatre. However, it was noticeable that this referee experienced significantly more difficulty managing these dynamics than would be expected at this level.
Just from what I saw he didn't seem to be moving comfortably either
ReplyDelete