2026 FIFA World Cup European Qualifiers, November 2025. Referee assignments for MD10.
Sunday 16 November 2025
15:00 CET - Budapest (Puskás Aréna)
HUNGARY - REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
Referee: Espen Andreas Eskås NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Erik Engan NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Isaak Elias Skjeseth Bashevkin NOR
Fourth Official: Sigurd Smehus Kringstad NOR
Video Assistant Referee: Juan Martínez Munuera ESP
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Kristoffer Hagenes NOR
UEFA Referee Observer: Helmut Fleischer GER
UEFA Delegate: Philippe Prudhon FRA
Group F
15:00 CET - Porto (Estádio do Dragão)
PORTUGAL - ARMENIA
Referee: Irfan Peljto BIH
Assistant Referee 1: Senad Ibrišimbegović BIH
Assistant Referee 2: Davor Beljo BIH
Fourth Official: Miloš Gigović BIH
Video Assistant Referee: Gianluca Aureliano ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Daniele Paterna ITA
UEFA Referee Observer: Mark Steven Whitby WAL
UEFA Delegate: Samuel Dennison NIR
Group D
18:00 CET - Warsaw, POL (Stadion Miejski Legii Warszawa im. Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego)
UKRAINE - ICELAND
Referee: Anthony Taylor ENG
Assistant Referee 1: Gary Beswick ENG
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Nunn ENG
Fourth Official: Samuel Barrott ENG
Video Assistant Referee: Stuart Attwell ENG
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Darren England ENG
UEFA Referee Observer: Gediminas Mažeika LTU
UEFA Delegate: Eduard Kindle LIE
Group K
18:00 CET - Leskovac (Stadion Dubočica)
SERBIA - LATVIA
Referee: Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea ESP
Assistant Referee 1: Iker de Francisco Grijalba ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Alfredo Rodríguez Moreno ESP
Fourth Official: Javier Alberola Rojas ESP
Video Assistant Referee: César Soto Grado ESP
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz ESP
UEFA Referee Observer: Paolo Dondarini ITA
UEFA Delegate: Artur Azaryan ARM
Group K
18:00 CET - Tirana (Air Albania Stadium)
ALBANIA - ENGLAND
Referee: Marco Guida ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Giorgio Peretti ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Alessio Berti ITA
Fourth Official: Simone Sozza ITA
Video Assistant Referee: Marco Di Bello ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Valerio Marini ITA
UEFA Referee Observer: Rune Pedersen NOR
UEFA Delegate: Angelo Chetcuti MLT
Group D
18:00 CET - Baku (Tofiq Bəhramov adına Respublika Stadionu)
AZERBAIJAN - FRANCE
Referee: Andris Treimanis LVA
Assistant Referee 1: Haralds Gudermanis LVA
Assistant Referee 2: Aleksejs Spasjonņikovs LVA
Fourth Official: Vitālijs Spasjonņikovs LVA
Video Assistant Referee: Clay Ruperti NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Kristaps Ratnieks LVA
UEFA Referee Observer: Aleksandar Stavrev MKD
UEFA Delegate: Ánna Kapásoglou GRE
Group I
20:45 CET - Milan (Stadio Giuseppe Meazza)
ITALY - NORWAY
Referee: Alejandro José Hernández Hernández ESP
Assistant Referee 1: José Enrique Naranjo Pérez ESP
Assistant Referee 2: Diego Sánchez Rojo ESP
Fourth Official: José María Sánchez Martínez ESP
Video Assistant Referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande ESP
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Valentín Pizarro Gómez ESP
UEFA Referee Observer: Marinus Koopman NED
UEFA Delegate: Iain Blair SCO
Group I
20:45 CET - Chişinău, MDA (Stadionul Zimbru)
ISRAEL - MOLDOVA
Referee: Allard Lindhout NED
Assistant Referee 1: Rogier Honig NED
Assistant Referee 2: Johan Balder NED
Fourth Official: Joey Kooij NED
Video Assistant Referee: Dennis Johan Higler NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Edwin van de Graaf NED
UEFA Referee Observer: William Collum SCO
UEFA Delegate: Michal Mertinyák SVK
Monday 17 November 2025
Group A
20:45 CET - Belfast (Clearer Twist National Stadium at Windsor Park)
NORTHERN IRELAND - LUXEMBOURG
Referee: Kristo Tohver EST
Assistant Referee 1: Silver Kõiv EST
Assistant Referee 2: Sander Saga EST
Fourth Official: Karl Koppel EST
Video Assistant Referee: Bram Van Driessche BEL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Bert Put BEL
UEFA Referee Observer: Jonathan Lardot BEL
UEFA Delegate: Fredy Fürst POL
Group A
20:45 CET - Leipzig (Red Bull Arena)
GERMANY - SLOVAKIA
Referee: François Letexier FRA
Assistant Referee 1: Cyril Mugnier FRA
Assistant Referee 2: Mehdi Rahmouni FRA
Fourth Official: Romain Lissorgue FRA
Video Assistant Referee: Willy Delajod FRA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Mathieu Vernice FRA
UEFA Referee Observer: Stefano Podeschi SMR
UEFA Delegate: Emil Ubias CZE
Group G
20:45 CET - Ta’ Qali (National Stadium)
MALTA - POLAND
Referee: Igor Pajač CRO
Assistant Referee 1: Bojan Zobenica CRO
Assistant Referee 2: Ivan Mihalj CRO
Fourth Official: Dario Bel CRO
Video Assistant Referee: Ivan Bebek CRO
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Fran Jović CRO
UEFA Referee Observer: Igor Șațchi MDA
UEFA Delegate: Mauro Tonolini ITA
Group G
20:45 CET - Amsterdam (Johan Cruijff ArenA)
NETHERLANDS - LITHUANIA
Referee: Luís Miguel Branco Godinho POR
Assistant Referee 1: Rui Miguel Martins Teixeira POR
Assistant Referee 2: Pedro Miguel Almeida da Mota POR
Fourth Official: Fábio José da Costa Veríssimo POR
Video Assistant Referee: André Filipe Domingues da Silva Narciso POR
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Fábio Oliveira de Melo POR
UEFA Referee Observer: Gerard Perry IRL
UEFA Delegate: Targo Kaldoja EST
Group L
20:45 CET - Olomouc (Andrův stadion)
CZECHIA - GIBRALTAR
Referee: Sascha Stegemann GER
Assistant Referee 1: Christof Günsch GER
Assistant Referee 2: Christian Gittelmann GER
Fourth Official: Stefan Ebner AUT
Video Assistant Referee: Harm Osmers GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Katrin Rafalski GER
UEFA Referee Observer: Simon Lee Evans WAL
UEFA Delegate: Evángelos Moúskos CYP
Group L
20:45 CET - Podgorica (Gradski stadion Podgorica)
MONTENEGRO - CROATIA
Referee: Halil Umut Meler TUR
Assistant Referee 1: İbrahim Çağlar Uyarcan TUR
Assistant Referee 2: Abdullah Bora Özkara TUR
Fourth Official: Kadir Sağlam TUR
Video Assistant Referee: Fedayi San SUI
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Onur Özütoprak TUR
UEFA Referee Observer: Sven Bindels LUX
UEFA Delegate: Octavian Goga ROU
Tuesday 18 November 2025
Group H
20:45 CET - Vienna (Ernst-Happel-Stadion)
AUSTRIA - BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
Referee: João Pinheiro POR
Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Jesus POR
Assistant Referee 2: Luciano Maia POR
Fourth Official: Cláudio Pereira POR
Video Assistant Referee: Tiago Martins POR
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Helder Malheiro POR
Fourth Official: Cláudio Pereira POR
Video Assistant Referee: Tiago Martins POR
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Helder Malheiro POR
UEFA Referee Observer: Michael Koukoulakis GRE
UEFA Delegate: Karl Espen Eriksen NOR
Group B
20:45 CET - Solna (Strawberry Arena)
SWEDEN - SLOVENIA
Referee: Maurizio Mariani ITAAssistant Referee 1: Daniele Bindoni ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Alberto Tegoni ITA
Fourth Official: Julian Weinberger AUT
Video Assistant Referee: Christian Dingert GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Pascal Müller GER
UEFA Referee Observer: Dejan Filipović SRB
UEFA Delegate: Kari Haapiainen FIN
Group J
20:45 CET - Cardiff (Cardiff City Stadium)
WALES - NORTH MACEDONIA
Referee: Danny Makkelie NED
Assistant Referee 1: Hessel Steegstra NED
Assistant Referee 2: Jan De Vries NED
Fourth Official: Marc Nagtegaal NED
Video Assistant Referee: Pol van Boekel NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Richard Martens NED
Video Assistant Referee: Pol van Boekel NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Richard Martens NED
UEFA Referee Observer: Knut Kircher GER
UEFA Delegate: Jirí Novák CZE
Group H
20:45 CET - Ploiesti (Stadionul Ilie Oană)
ROMANIA - SAN MARINO
Referee: Mohammad Al-Emara FIN
Assistant Referee 1: Turkka Valjakka FIN
Assistant Referee 2: Mika Lamppu FIN
Fourth Official: Peiman Simani FIN
Assistant Referee 1: Turkka Valjakka FIN
Assistant Referee 2: Mika Lamppu FIN
Fourth Official: Peiman Simani FIN
Video Assistant Referee: Michael Fabbri ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Federico La Penna ITA
UEFA Referee Observer: Ádám Farkas HUN
UEFA Delegate: Siim Juks EST
Group B
20:45 CET - Pristina (Stadiumi Fadil Vokrri)
KOSOVO - SWITZERLAND
Referee: Davide Massa ITA
Assistant Referee 1: Filippo Meli ITA
Assistant Referee 2: Stefano Alassio ITA
Fourth Official: Daniele Chiffi ITA
Video Assistant Referee: Aleandro Di Paolo ITA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Daniele Doveri ITA
UEFA Referee Observer: Ian Stokes IRL
UEFA Delegate: Frédéric Veraghaenne BEL
Group C
20:45 CET - Glasgow (Hampden Park)
SCOTLAND - DENMARK
Referee: Szymon Marciniak POL
Assistant Referee 1: Tomasz Listkiewicz POL
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Kupsik POL
Fourth Official: Paweł Raczkowski POL
Video Assistant Referee: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Daniel Stefanski POL
UEFA Referee Observer: Vitor Melo Pereira POR
Assistant Referee 1: Tomasz Listkiewicz POL
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Kupsik POL
Fourth Official: Paweł Raczkowski POL
Video Assistant Referee: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Daniel Stefanski POL
UEFA Referee Observer: Vitor Melo Pereira POR
UEFA Delegate: Stéphanie Forde BEL
Group E
20:45 CET - Sofia (Natsionalen Stadion Vasil Levski)
BULGARIA - GEORGIA
Referee: Jakob Kehleet DEN
Assistant Referee 1: Lars Hummelgaard DEN
Assistant Referee 2: Ole Kronlykke DEN
Fourth Official: Mikkel Redder DEN
Video Assistant Referee: Jonas Hansen DEN
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Sandi Putros DEN
Assistant Referee 2: Ole Kronlykke DEN
Fourth Official: Mikkel Redder DEN
Video Assistant Referee: Jonas Hansen DEN
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Sandi Putros DEN
UEFA Referee Observer: Luc Wouters BEL
UEFA Delegate: George Fantaros CYP
Group C
20:45CET - Zalaegerszeg, HUN (ZTE Aréna)
BELARUS - GREECE
Referee: Damian Sylwestrzak POLAssistant Referee 1: Paweł Sokolnicki POL
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Karasewicz POL
Fourth Official: Patryk Gryckiewicz POL
Video Assistant Referee:Piotr Lasyk POL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Pawel Malec POL
UEFA Referee Observer: Kristinn Jakobsson ISL
UEFA Delegate: Emmanuelle Puttaert BEL
Group E
20:45 CET - Seville (La Cartuja De Sevilla)
SPAIN - TÜRKİYE
Referee: Felix Zwayer GER Assistant Referee 1: Robert Kempter GER
Assistant Referee 2: Christian Dietz GER
Fourth Official: Sven Jablonski GER
Video Assistant Referee: Bastian Dankert GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Daniel Schlager GER
UEFA Referee Observer: Gunnar Jarl Jónsson ISL
UEFA Delegate: Alojzije Šupraha CRO
Group J
20:45 CET - Liege (Stade Maurice Dufrasne)
BELGIUM - LIECHTENSTEIN
Referee: Mohammed Al-Hakim SWEAssistant Referee 1: Mehmet Culum SWE
Assistant Referee 2: Fredrik Klyver SWE
Fourth Official: Kristoffer Karlsson SWE
Video Assistant Referee: Andrew Dallas SCO
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Steven McLean SCO
UEFA Referee Observer: Ferenc Székely HUN
UEFA Delegate: Cristiano Ascari SMR
De Burgos is officially new Spanish n⁰3
ReplyDeleteBut Hernandez got the better appointment in this set...
DeleteOr do you mean Gil Manzano is n°4 now?
Manzano is still a great referee. Don’t think he is No. 4.
Delete1) Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez
Delete2) Jesus Gil Manzano
3) De Burgos Bengoetxea
4) Hernandez Hernandez
And Alberola Rojas upcoming to the 4th place with a tendency to climb further up the ladder
Spain don't really have an obvious "top referee" who is a guarantee to go the WC but their number 5 (M Munuera) gets pretty good appointments compared to lots of other big countries 5th best.
Deletelast week Fenerbahce made an official complaint to UEFA about referee Allard Lindhout..
ReplyDeleteso can we say big support to Allard lindhout by uefa ?
No, because he gets a meaningless game. Actually that's a bad appointment for a referee with CL experience, I think.
DeleteMost probably the appointment for the qualifiers was made before the Fenerbahce match and UEFA didn't want to remove him from the appointment which is the right move in my opinion
DeleteAn excellent match for Eskas, one that directly decides who goes to the playoffs, and in some crazy scenario Hungary could even reach the World Cup. Eskas continues to stay on the edge of the TOP level and could earn himself a ticket to the WC.
ReplyDeleteI thought Peljto would get a “stronger” match, but things aligned in a way that this one also became a must-win for Portugal, so it will be monitored closely by the organization. I’m not really sure about his current status after he wasn’t appointed last Champions League round. Whether Rocchi, as his observer, was dissatisfied with his performance in RMA–MAR, I don’t know, but we’ll see what happens.
Taylor, after a questionable performance in the CL, gets an OK match, but with this appointment UEFA showed the advantage Oliver currently has.
The other referees don’t have some of the most important fixtures, but they still need to prove themselves on the biggest stage for the future. Burgos, Lindhout, Treimanis… they are probably not TOP level, but UEFA might continue giving them more opportunities. Hernández and Guida are there, but realistically they are not WC candidates.
I think, Taylor's appointment is as good as Oliver's here given the group situation.
Deletefor me Taylor gets a really good game, not just an ok match.
DeletePeljto appointment imo is still fine, because due to the surprise loss of Portugal, the game has stakes. And they cannot just give Portugal a random name due to their name.
Eskas gets a very good appointment, and surely they start slowly to consider him as a top elite referee.
De Burgos, Hernandez, Guida, Treimanis and Lindhout with games with no stakes, maybe a bit better for Hernandez and Guida.
Most important match to Eskas, very good appointment; I don't know if Hz Hz was scheduled for Italy-Norway since the beginning or if it is a replacement due to the standing and the fact that all is already decided. Glad to see De Burgos, Lindhout and Treimanis, few names different from the the same
ReplyDeleteThe appointments have been all made before this matchday, so one should only think about the possibility of a replacement for Hernandez Hernandez in case of draw between Norway and Estonia, but given the very short time (game yesterday, appointment released today) rather impossible to believe. The Spanish referee would have got a big one after months of nothing, but I think in Rosetti's mind this was impossible to happen and indeed it didn't happen.
DeleteAs for the Spanish, it is the perfect configuration for him, being back in a certain game under spotlights, but without a real stake.
Sometimes I wonder whether the same referees are so much aware of the nature of their assignments, like we discuss them on the blog, but very likely in some cases answer is rather "no" :)
Very big game for Eskas, but given that assignments were made before, one could argue that they didn't expect such a situation. Nevertheless, the game is OK for the Norwegian, given the recent progress and his solid path in UEFA. A real test for him. Strict officiating is expected to keep everything under control (my advice to him. Peljto back in Portugal, to me, given the same argument as before, it was hard to believe Portugal would have been still in this situation, but they will be mostly OK with only one point to gain. The Bosnian a bit out of the spotlights, but still in a rather OK assignment I think, waiting for the next ones. Should be not challnging in Porto, but we will see.
ReplyDeleteStill big credit to Taylor with a decisive game for second place in that group. Similar to Oliver's assignment, bu this less rough on paper in my opinion but with "Ukraine" as spotlight.
For Guida in Albania, absolutely meaningless game, could have been important only for Albania in case of missed win against Andorra but it didn't happen. Understanding his current reputation is very hard, you should have expected more by a referee attending EURO.
The rest is all normal assignments, Lindhout doesn't have that big trust. For me, committee didn't consider that game between Viktoria Plzen and Fenerrbahçe as very big one, and they now continue with rather sub standard matches. The feeling is that they aer waiting for the next Dutch Category 1 after him, because he didn't manage to convince so far with his performances.
Lindhout is currently the Dutch Nr 3, but there is still a big gap between him and Makkelie and Gozubuyuk. He is just not a convincing referee in his performances, both domestically and internationally. Looks like Van der Eijk is on track to become the next Category 1 referee from The Netherlands. He has had some good international appointments this year. In the Dutch league, he still has to prove himself in big games.
Delete"Van der Eijk is on track to become the next Category 1 referee from The Netherlands"
DeleteHe is not on the track, he was promoted to Category 1 last summer indeed
Is there information for the referees Monday and Tuesday games ? I think I read here holland vs Lithuania: luis godinho
ReplyDeleteYou like portuguese referee's even more than me! And i'm a portuguese referee!
Delete😁😁
DeleteFor the main matches, it is clear that they remained Marciniak, Letexier, probably Pinheiro
DeleteWhere are the German Elites?
ReplyDeleteInteresting that Sánchez Martinez will be FO in NORITA when he did the first leg…
ReplyDeleteI think the Spanish crew wasn’t planned in San Siro at all.
After a quick assessment, it appears that at least four top Elite referees will be required on Tuesday. Marciniak is a given. But who else. Both Germans?
ReplyDelete1. SCO–DEN (the highest-profile fixture, though likely predominantly “fair”)
2. AUT–BIH (an open group — potentially the more challenging match on the pitch)
3. KOV–SUI and 4. SWE–SLV (currently an open group, though today’s results may alter that)
To a lesser extent (due to the Nations League bonus points): WAL–MKD. I can see e.g. Gozubuyuk or Pinheiro there.
At least there seems to be an agglomeration of German referees, because Sascha Stegemann will be supported by Austrian Stefan Ebner as fourth official on Monday.
DeleteMakkelie could get one of those, I think.
DeleteAnd looking at Stegemann's team, it seems at least two Germans are working on Tuesday (maybe even all three, if Siebert has recovered).
I would also place SWE-SVN in the "lesser extent" section. It only becomes relevant, if Kosovo loses today - and doesn't win on Tuesday.
The problem is, that none of the top three are available for KOS-SUI: Zwayer had SUI last round, Marciniak had the first leg, Makkelie had KOS last round. So I think, Pinheiro is most likely there (with Siebert and maybe Massa being alternatives).
Then one could put Marciniak on SCO-DEN, Zwayer on AUT-BIH and Makkelie on WAL-MKD.
ESP-TÜR probably also has an Elite referee, because it could be important if Spain doesn't win today.
I just don't know, where to put Gözübüyük, because SWE would have three Dutchmen in six games, if he gets SWE-SVN - and he can't do TÜR.
Pinheiro in Group B is indeed a realistic option, as we can rule out both Zwayer and Makkelie in group B. Marciniak already refereed SUI-KOV.
DeleteIs Marciniak a certainty for SCO–DEN? Or will UEFA suddenly pull a rabbit out of the hat with Zwayer? I wouldn’t rule it out 🙂 Marciniak is also a good option in AUT-BIH.
I was struggling to find a match for Makkelie. He can’t be assigned to Group B after SWE–KOS, and he already had BIH in the first round (not sure UEFA cares though).
Zwayer with SCO-DEN is unlikely, because Jablonski just had DEN. Otherwise I would agree.
DeleteMakkelie for SCO-DEN seems possible as well. But then it's hard to find a second game for Marciniak and Zwayer (besides AUT-BIH)...
Oh right, Jablonski…
DeleteMarciniak is also available for SWE–SLO, but I certainly hope they won’t assign another top elite referee to Slovenia after Turpin. No, they probably won’t.
SCO–DEN: Marciniak
AUT–BIH: Zwayer
WAL–MKD: Makkelie
KOS–SUI: Pinheiro
That leaves SWE–SLO and ESP–TUR. Perhaps Siebert and another Italian.
Bosnia vs austria will important match for both team
ReplyDeleteWales vs mc will be crucial game
Sweden vs Slovenia if Slovenia win tonight also will be important match
Can we expect referees of these three important games ?
ReplyDeleteI expect Zwayer or Marciniak for AUT-BIH
DeleteI expect Marciniak for AUT-BIH. Because it can be an really hot game with a lot of BIH fans in the stadium and Zwayer and Austria both speak German with many players in Germany, it would not be the best choice I think.
DeleteWell I am notoriously terrible at predictions but I'll give you my take on who I think will take charge.
ReplyDeleteSCO-DEN Makkelie
AUT-BIR Marchinak
WAL-MKD Pinheiro
KOS-SUI Zwayer
I would be shocked if there was any German in Glasgow given that Siebert did the fixture in DEN and Jablonski just having DEN. The other 3 are very interchangeable and I would be surprised seeing any names in the relative games.
Zwayer had Switzerland on the last MD
DeleteYes zwayer was refereed Switzerland last match
DeleteWell I did say I was terrible at predictions swap Zwayer and Pinheiro then
DeleteI think Philipp has pretty much “sorted” it based on his deduction theory 🙂:
Delete1. Several referees are unavailable for Group B due to a recent match (e.g., Zwayer, Makkelie, and e.g. Marciniak already handled SUI–KOS). So it makes sense that Pinheiro ends up in Group B.
2. Then Zwayer: he can’t take Group B, nor Scotland, because Jablonski is on the Scotland match and the observer in Wales is German. That leaves AUT–BIH for him.
3. Marciniak can take Slovenia, but given his reputation, the high-profile match is more logical: SCO–DEN.
4. That leaves Makkelie, who can’t be assigned to Group B, so possibly WAL–MKD or ESP–TUR.
5. The second match in Group B is tricky - maybe Siebert or an Italian?
It all seems fairly logical. That said, I’m ready for any surprise, and we also don’t know for sure whether all names above are actually available.
One can only suggest Mr Marciniak in Glasgow.
ReplyDeleteConfirmation that Scotland v Denmark is a winner takes all clash after tonight's results
ReplyDeleteTo be honest the stakes in MKDWAL are and always were regardless of today's results much lower compared to SCODEN, GERSVK or AUTBIH, i.e. direct clashes for a WC spot.
DeleteBoth MKD and WAL already have a play-off spot guaranteed via Nations League, so the only thing at stake between them is avoiding a Pot 4 seeding at the play-offs draw
Pinheiro for AUT-BIH
ReplyDeleteMarciniak for SCO-DEN
Zwayer for ESP-TUR
Nice
DeleteSWE-SVN: Mariani - probably a replacement for Siebert
ReplyDeleteKOS-SUI: Massa - a "nothing to lose" kind of appointment
SCO-DEN: Marciniak - expected
BLR-GRE: Sylwestrzak - seems unneccessary there
ESP-TÜR: Zwayer - game could have been more important, so not too bad
BUL-GEO: Kehlet - normal appointment, although I would prefer chances for 2nd group in those games
AUT-BIH: Pinheiro - Big test for him, could maybe secure or lose his WC spot there. Interesting, that he was chosen above Makkelie and Zwayer
ROU-SMR: Al-Emara - game could have been important, so normal choice
BEL-LIE: Al-Hakim - dito
WAL-MKD: Makkelie - game looks quite important; unclear, whether UEFA realized, that it isn't due to NL results and rules.
Honestly, I'm not a fan of Pinheiro, but UEFA obviously trusts him and he won perhaps the toughest match of the qualifiers so far, considering that 20-30k BiH fans are expected in Austria. There will certainly be atmosphere and tension, of course because victory leads to the WC. His one of the biggest tests yet and a game where he could confirm his WC status or even lose it.
ReplyDeleteMy observations/opinions:
ReplyDelete• Pinheiro on AUT–BIH is a risk, especially because of his style (always on the edge of maintaining control). It’s a “do or die” match and indeed surprising that he was appointed over more experienced names. Maybe the fact that Austria plays at home and only needs a draw helps justify the appointment. Still, I would have preferred a more experienced referee given the Balkan mentality.
• There’s no doubt that Pinheiro and Eskås have received tougher matches on paper than Vincic, Zwayer, Makkelie, Peljto, Mariani, etc. That’s remarkable. I find it questionable that an experienced referee like Zwayer is not being tested, while Pinheiro/Eskås are. These matches are now being used as a serious test for them — but these countries also deserve a highly experienced referee, just like Germany, Scotland/Denmark do.
• I suspect that Zwayer, and also Oliver, are being kept a bit “out of the wind.” Oliver did have a challenging match yesterday, but still with less spotlight because it was the penultimate round.
• Marciniak is predictable. In my view, Vincic is never used for the most high-risk matches. It’s always the Polish firefighter who has to step in. It really seems that the Slovenian needs to go deep at the 2026 World Cup to convince. He gets big teams and big nations, but often not when everything is on the line. But if Vincic ends up refereeing, say, Italy in the playoffs, I will reconsider my opinion. ;-)
• Another appointment for Mariani feels unnecessary. It could be a replacement for Siebert, but then why not Gözübüyük (or Jovanović)? Also, it is striking how often Italian referees handle Slovenia and PSG. Same for Guida, Massa. It seems like a shortcut to “quickly” build a UEFA career. Both Slovenia and PSG come with a political aftertaste.
• Notable that Makkelie and Van Boekel are paired again. Makkelie on WAL–MKD: that’s a battle for pot 4 vs. pot 3 — avoiding Italy or another top pot-1 team in the semifinal. According to ‘experts’ here, Makkelie’s World Cup spot is in danger, but there is still focus on him. This season he has repeatedly had observers from UEFA’s Development Panel and the UEFA Conventional Panel. I watched Makkelie on Ukraine–France and Napoli–Sporting and there was nothing to criticize.
• Overall, I think Taylor and Makkelie can still be valuable at the World Cup. FIFA values the returnees who have already been there. They have the support and the experience to handle a quarterfinal between two top nations (France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, etc.), something that would be premature for Peljto, Mariani, Eskås, Pinheiro. These are also names that have not yet refereed at the EURO.
You have many right points in my opinion.
DeleteOnce again, Mariani as replacement OK, it can be even a way to give him something as compensation after the domestic storm he is suffering (one can easily read Rosetti's mind sometimes...), but we have again Italian referees with Slovenia national team or Slovenian teams. As you said. It's clearly a particular choice they do.
Slovenia actually is the only team with 100% Elite referees in this qualification. Only other teams with 6 (but out of 10) Elite referees are Italy and England.
DeleteWhat's so strange about it? Ceferin is the one who "pushes" his referees... let's also remember that Skomina won the final of CL 2019, and so did Vincic at Wembley... while he is at the top of UEFA, it will always be like that
DeletePeople have short memories. In the aftermath of this article's publishing, it was more of an obstacle to be from Slovenia than an advantage in UEFA refereeing.
Deletehttps://josimar.no/artikler/the-aleksander-ceferin-show/4241/
Kovács got the Champions League final after handling Liverpool–PSG. Zwayer could have received the Europa League final last season after his quarterfinal, but instead he was forced to “prove himself” again with the UCL semifinal second leg between PSG and Arsenal, while the more experienced Vincic was only given a first leg.
DeleteRemember that Orsato was crossed off for the EURO 2024 final right after he refereed Slovenia. Nyberg disappeared from the top level last season after he overturned a penalty he had given to PSG following VAR interference from Attwell.
Gil Manzano handled a politically sensitive match between Italy and Ukraine, even though he still didn’t have that much backing at international level. Meanwhile, a proven referee like Vincic was sidelined because he apparently had to referee a UCL final that season. In fact, they even gave Vincic Ukraine in the previous round so he would automatically be ineligible for Ukraine–Italy.
As for Makkelie, enough has been said. I already found it questionable that he had to referee a second leg in 2022 (Real–PSG), while Orsato — a referee with a UCL final and broader international support — got the first leg. All while Turpin was pushed into the background.
Massa and Guida were appointed to PSG last season. The same now applies to Mariani. Coincidence? Think again.
Pinheiro and Eskas are getting a serious test in these World Cup qualifiers, while experienced referees with a EURO or World Cup on their résumé are being assigned mid-level matches. It reminds me of Peljto in 2024, who lost a EURO spot in favor of a referee who had only handled Europa League games, while Peljto himself had refereed Real Madrid in the Round of 16.
The conclusion is that doing well in matches with PSG, Slovenia, Italy’s NT, and Italian clubs can be a shortcut to build a career. There’s plenty of evidence for that. But it can just as easily hurt a referee’s career if a big call goes wrong. It cuts both ways.
DeleteOn top of that, UEFA sometimes throws away referees in high risk games to protect other referees.
I have no reason to appointment mariani sweden vs slovenia what prevents him for being given a chance for another? Assignment denotes randomness of uefa referee
ReplyDeleteOne could arguably say that this game could be Espen Eskas biggest game of his career so far. Whoever loses will miss out on a shot at the world cup next year! Correct me if im wrong?
ReplyDeleteI would rather say that Pinheiro got the bigger game, considering that in Eskas case the match is only for the playoffs, while in Pinheiro case it directly decides a World Cup spot
DeleteWell… Bosnia still has a ‘pathway’ to the World Cup via the play-offs. The loser of Hungary vs Ireland does not. The same applies to the loser of Ukraine vs Iceland.
DeleteIt’s notable that the observer appointments for 25–26 November (MD5 UCL) still haven’t been released. I assume UEFA has already made the assignments, since national federations also need to prepare for the upcoming weekend. However, it seems UEFA may be waiting to see whether any controversy arises in this final qualification round before confirming them.
ReplyDelete7' POR-ARM Foul correctly awarded, Portugal scores a goal from the foul: suspicious situation, VAR confirms the decision - goal
ReplyDeleteI'm really curious. When will Espen Eskas award a penalty without a help from Var?
ReplyDeleteI mean he did a few weeks ago in Atalanta-Club Brügge, a decision heavily discussed on this blog...
DeleteI have always said and will always be of the opinion that Eskas is overrated referee. He has no authority.
DeleteIrish media are saying that Hungary first goal was offside
ReplyDeleteAnd not overturned by VAR
DeleteLooked offside on replays
DeleteThey showed a replay around 42:10 which made it look like there was a foot from an Ireland defender that kept him onside. However, I've not seen any lines drawn
Delete45+1' Penalty for Portugal. VAR confirm OFR decision.
ReplyDeleteAwful to see Eskas when it comes to disciplinary sanctions. But Collina will like it as this will be directives for yellow cards in World Cup.
ReplyDeleteAfter today's game in Hungary, I'm not convinced that Eskås will go to the World Cup.
DeleteReally? I thought he chose an optimal opening YC, and besides likely needing to be 'encouraged' by Hungary players to book at 89', I'd consider Eskas to have been faultless in this regard. Overall, I think the Norwegian did (very) well - the penalty was a logical miss as no11 was the 'expected' challenger but it was no4's foul, and he assured full control in a tense clash which was far from a given. Eskas, helped by the FIFA instructors a lot in the facet 'personality and management', has improved hugely and deserves much more credit in my view than Law5 gives him. If he is selected for the WC, which I would give a >80% chance of happening now, it would be fully deserved from my pov.
DeleteIt’s good to see Eskas bounce back in a crucial match after a poor performance in the Atalanta game and a below-expectations FCWC. I had the impression that the American heat (Nashville) affected the Norwegian’s performance, but next year’s World Cup will be hot as well.
DeleteA World Cup spot is not yet guaranteed, especially with another test for Eskas coming at the Arab Cup.
I thought it was a mark of how accepted he was that no Hungarian players approached him at the end of the game to complain about the added time.
Delete@MIKAEL W: comment to be really appreciated.
DeleteEskás was not accepted at all. The Hungarian players asked him for a yellow card for all the Irish fouls. They couldn't complain because of the shock effect, because otherwise the Hungarian public was not at all satisfied with his performance. He didn't recognize the aggressive Irish style either, he had several problems controlling the game at the end of the first half. By the way, I saw the game live in the stadium, but I saw a recording where the first Hungarian goal seemed offside. Does anyone have an opinion on this?
DeletePeljto, although it is 7-1, has a demanding game, two OFR penalties confirmed and several interesting decisions - all correct
ReplyDeleteCrazy end by Ireland
ReplyDeleteNothing to declare about Peljto. A calm game, except for the penalties awarded, which were correctly given.
ReplyDeleteWhat a drama in puşcas arena
ReplyDeleteThe matches until the end of these qualifiers could say a lot about the list of referees for the WC. Letexier, Kovacs, Turpin, Vincic, Marciniak and probably Mariani are safe in my opinion. Oliver and Taylor are almost certainly there, Zwayer also. It will be very interesting for other places. In view of the latest appointments - Kruzliak is close. Pinheiro is also close, tuesday game will be crucial for him. Eskas, Nyberg, Peljto, Sanchez Martinez, Siebert, Massa, Makkalie... they will all fight for the remaining places depending on how many referees UEFA has on the WC. (correct me if I forgot someone)
ReplyDeleteScharer could also go but is injured at the moment and just missed the U20 world cup. He's done both the Super Cup and NL Finals recently so could still have a chance...
DeleteKruzliak ...hell no!!
DeleteYou dont watch matches of this man. No quality at all. Nyberg is safe.
RvT I don't speak according to what I want and think, but according to what UEFA represents. They keep giving him important matches...
DeleteKruzliak has not been in a FIFA tournament since 2019 U20WC, no chances for him IMO…UEFA doesn’t work the same as FIFA.
DeleteNyberg and Makkelie are safe.
Massa wasn’t on the pre-selection so Italy will have Mariani.
I don't think Kruzliak is close .. at least I hope not
DeleteOf the Scandinavians, Nyberg is the one that's pretty much guaranteed to be at the World Cup. Eskas will still be distributed. At least that's what I think.
DeleteCan we expect appointments of match day five champions league?
ReplyDelete2, max 3 days before
DeleteQuick note on Turpin in Slovenia. Was it a strike? Yes. Was it enough for a 2YC? Obviously not. And this will no doubt revive the whole “should VAR intervene on 2YC?” debate.
ReplyDeleteThe parallel with Meler’s incident in Bergamo is clear. The Turkish referee was instantly done for the knockout stages. Turpin, however, has a big reputation and it’s still early in the season. But what now? If you punish Meler, can you appoint Turpin again straight away? I’m curious.
I’m not calling for suspensions — absolutely not, in either case. Let that be clear. But I do wonder whether there are consistent standards that apply to everyone, or if decisions depend on the referee’s passport. We’ll find out soon.
Two VAR interventions in Baku in the first half, both for handballs before goals scored by France (26' overrule and 43' OFR).
ReplyDeleteTbh quite hard to spot them live for Treimanis.
IMO it seems it's safe to say England will have 2 group of referees next year, flawless Taylor in Warsaw in not challenging match, surely no one with objective glasses would question does World Cup didn't need his experiences.
ReplyDeleteYep, definitely a good performance by Taylor today - he cohered to his characteristic style on fouls/cards, but gave an impression of real assurance on the FoP.
DeleteThree clips from Peljto game.
ReplyDelete6' Free kick before 1-0
https://streambug.org/cv/fc5d35
45'+1 Penalty calls, players agitated, management
https://streambug.org/cv/2e98d7
70' Penalty call, VAR checked possible offside
https://streambug.org/cv/5dea26
everything correct, good game
DeleteTwo disallowed goals for handballs in Azerbaijan - France.
ReplyDeleteFirst one overrule, second after OFR.
24' https://streambug.org/cv/be591b
41' https://streambug.org/cv/e98833
Penalty and red card for DOGSO by Lindhout in ISR-MDA
ReplyDeletehttps://streamain.com/en/boWjULhc9myLaZ6/watch
DeletePenalty after OFR by Eskas.
ReplyDeletehttps://streambug.org/cv/f7632c
Very good explanation by Mikael above, about the reason of the miss by referee, indeed he was rather focused on the closer opponent an expected something to happen between them, but then there was this challenge but I must say, it is not common and maybe not easy, for of course, once watched, very clear penalty.
First of all Ireland need to say a huge thank you to Harm Osmers and Benjamin Brand perfomance in September in Dublin. It is a quite interesting thing that in Dublin all team got a red card. We had seen the reasons all of them was correct. But I had seen today in Budapest "The Irish Style " and i had immedatley known why was red cards on his games. This kind of dirty football was allowed all of referees. This hard group got only a higher ranked referee Taylor in PORARM (5-0), nonsense while Italy always got the best, Rosetti need sometimes to think other nations too. While everyone had seen that this kind of heated matches need big names. While Hungary got 2 lower Elite category his last 2 important game. To be honest there is a huge problem in UEFA refereeing nowadays. IMO (!) there are 3 big names able to officate this kind of heated matches like IRLHUN and HUNIRL : Marciniak, Kovács(out for Hungary) Letexier. When was the drawn it was clear this match will be a final for pot 2 and pot 3 teams, and Rosetti appointed Osmers and Eskás . Osmers proved in Dublin, never reach Elite. About Eskás: He proved today not able to manage this kind of matches. It is not easy to officiate in Puskás Aréna. He didnt solved today. Terrible match management, his card management incredible. He supported Irish dirty football cardless and a lot of injuries without cards (!) In this situations he is extremly arrogant when someone ask for YC.Someone mentioned that He is overrated. It is absolutely truth. While key match incidents was correct. AR2 doesnt feel his foul line, he is not UEFA level, for me missing a help before the penalty, he was the best position that it was a penalty.
DeleteI think you are being extremely hard (!) But well, we all have different opinions.
Delete“nonsense while Italy always got the best, Rosetti need sometimes to think other nations too”…But here I completely agree with you.
ITA/NOR: Hernandez's first half was anything but flawless, if not downright modest.
ReplyDeleteNot much better in the second half
DeleteNGA-COD: Disallowed goal in 94'. Jayed correctly delayed the whistle until the ball was in the goal. The foul itself appeared quite soft in the replays, but probably not enough for a VAR intervention.
ReplyDeleteVARs are Benbraham (ALG) and Guirat (TUN) by the way.
for me it was fine to disallow it ..
DeleteMinute 67 sums up hernandez. Unable to get out the way of the play in midfield and escalating everything
ReplyDeleteHernández Hernández, management
ReplyDeletehttps://streambug.org/cv/7287b8
In my opinion he deliberately decided to whistle the previous foul only because he had obstructed Norwegian player. Let's remember, as he didn't touch ball, game shouldn't have been stopped.
DeleteIf HH had run more and had a better sense of position he would not have found himself in the middle of the action. More per he runs always without any sprint. So he is too far away from the action or gets in the way of the game.
DeleteMore per = Moreover
DeleteYep,that's the case with Hernandez, he can make the game interesting with his chaotic style.
ReplyDeleteAfter a conflict, rather a classic simulation by Italian player trying to deceive referee, but the action by Haaland existed.
ReplyDeletehttps://streambug.org/cv/8c099e
Missed by Hernandez.
Another disallowed goal for DR Congo for a push by attacker, in my view extremely soft foul, goal shohave stood. DR Congo would feel hard done by if they lose
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately very very poor officiating from Jalal Jayed, very easy to whistle soft foul and then end the match 1 minute early!! After Nigerian GK seems injured and DR Congo at 1/3 attacking phase with throw in.
ReplyDeleteQuite poor on the additional time mix-up (surely it can't be a problem communicating with Melki) but the rest was fine imo: I thought it a good performance by Jayed who was right both to disallow the goal (clattering into the defender) and not to award DRC a penalty in that second half incident. The game was not technically that challenging, indeed not even one card was shown. Jalal Jayed has had a very good autumn in int'nl refereeing and will be one of the CAF referees at the WC, I'm quite sure.
Delete+1
DeleteItaly 1-4 Norway,
ReplyDeleteTheir referees, their players, their infrastructures seems very very end
Only political remains
It's just incredible to see how big FA fallen so drastically.
To follow may I question (not directly related to referee world)
DeleteTo the Italian readers here: what was the public reaction after such a shameful home defeat, especially with the national team being led by some of your legendary former players? Do you feel that Italian football has declined, and that the old guard has actually contributed to holding it back, almost like a hegemonic force? With Euro 2032 coming and the ongoing infrastructure issues, what’s your general opinion here? Thanks in advance
How can Simon Lee Evans be an observer for Wales when he does not work in the Welsh Leauge he works for the English FA
ReplyDeleteAbout the observers, they are listed by nationality, so it's possible that an observer from a certain country is working for UEFA even if he is not belonging to his domestic association. One of the very well and most known example, but there are many others, is De Bleeckere, Belgian, but he was very often out from Belgian association and now he works in Azerbaijan.
DeleteMore generally it seems, but the topic is really difficult to treat because there aren't public information, in some cases UEFA trusts an observer being very flexible about that.
Does anyone here have more information about the Conmebol referees?
ReplyDeleteWhat are the correct names for WC 26?
And which ones are still in dispute?
Thank you to anyone who knows the answer!
The only 100% locked names are Tello, Sampaio and Valenzuela.
DeleteBrazil and Argentina will bring two referees to the WC, so there's a dispute between Claus/Abatti (BRA) and Falcón/Herrera (ARG) for that second spot. The frontrunners should be Abatti and Falcón respectively, even if Abatti is completely "astroturfed" by FIFA and his reputation/status is significantly lower than Claus' in Conmebol (and I assume CBF too, but I'm not well informed about Brazilian refereeing's internal dynamics). FIFA tried Herrera in the last U20WC, but I have the impression that Falcón who attended CWC will win the race.
As per other countries:
Venezuela: Valenzuela is along with Sampaio and Tello the only 100% locked candidate. They apparently have two other promising refs in the two Herreras (Alexis Adrián and Yender Yoscán) who nonetheless should be candidates for 2030, not next year.
Colombia: I think the likeliest outcome for them is having no representation at the next WC. Jhon Ospina was tried in 2023 U20WC but got rejected in IRQTUN, while veteran Andrés Rojas who was in a good position to attend WC was handed over a hefty suspention by Conmebol over his performance in Flamengo-Estudiantes de La Plata and as a result was removed from U20WC at their request (he actually travelled to Chile, but got zero appointments)
Uruguay: A fierce competition between WC22 attendee Andrés Matonte and up-and-coming Gustavo Tejera. At the beginning of this cycle, I was pretty convinced Matonte would (unfortunately) attend his second WC in a row, but it seems FIFA got quite interested in Tejera, selecting him for 2023 U17WC and U20WC, doing a SF in both tournaments. While if I'm not mistaken Matonte has a slightly higher reputation within Conmebol as he's been around for a little longer, if I had to bet on which Uruguayan will attend WC26 I'd say Tejera, even if a Matonte 'doublé' wouldn't come across as a shock
Ecuador: Augusto Aragón was the only referee from the country who could have been considered a candidate in this cycle, and any (quite remote from the very beginning) chance he had got crushed after U20WC ITACUB, where he presumably got rejected.
Peru: The amount of last-minute absences for U20WC (Schärer and Al-Kaf injured before the tournament, Rojas de facto removed at Conmebol's request, plus other referees becoming unavailable for KO stage due to performance issues (Nasaruddin, Gamouh, Aragón...) or injury (Sánchez Martínez)) made FIFA select Kevin Ortega for the tournament as a last-minute replacement, where he ended up doing a QF. I don't know FIFA's plans for the Peruvian who flew in to Qatar to act as support referee cuz until then he had no appointments whatsoever in this cycle and seemed like FIFA had 'moved on'. I think he could be 50/50, profiting from e.g. Rojas' ostracism.
Paraguay: After the very long veto on Paraguayan referees by Conmebol ended, the focus for a potential WC attendee was put on Juan Gabriel Benítez, who a bit out of the blue got Argentina vs Colombia WCQ game and a CWC selection. I don't think he convinced 100% FIFA, so he's been selected for Arab Cup in order for FIFA to watch him a bit more and make up their minds. His WC chances will probably depend on his performance in this tournament next month.
Chile: Many parallelisms to Uruguay here. The natural frontrunner at the start of the cycle was last Finalissima referee Piero Maza who also enjoys a high reputation within Conmebol (he's been appointed to the Copa Sudamericana final), however after getting rejected in 2023 U20WC, FIFA turned their attention to Cristian Garay, who had a low-profile-but-okayish CWC. Garay is along with Benítez the only Conmebol referee selected for Arab Cup so my early prediction is that Garay's fate also rests on his parcours next month. If he convinces FIFA he will attend WC, while if he makes a mess, Maza will attend instead.
Bolivia: No realistic candidate.
@Quilava great analysis (!) Can you do another about CONCACAF? I got mine but I’d like to read you analysis;)
DeleteJust to add, Ramon Abatti hasn't refereed a Brazilian Serie A game in over a month after a horrible match (one of the most bizarre performances I've ever seen), but I don't know if that affects his reputation with FIFA.
Deletediego612 Assuming CONCACAF is having 6+1 referees in WC26:
DeleteUS: Elfath will be back in time for Arab Cup and unless he makes a huge mess or gets injured again he should be a lock (and a frontrunner for the final), while Penso will attend as the female representative and have a couple of unbalanced ties or dead-rubbers. In case of Elfath having to miss WC, they have Dickerson prepared as a possible back-up (and frontrunner for 2030)
Mexico: Ramos is a lock (unfortunately), chances for Katia García being selected shouldn't be zero but IMO the likeliest outcome is Penso being the sole female representative as a field referee. A support referee role for García could be possible too (but in that case I hope it doesn't go south like Yamashita's selection for that role in 2022...)
Canada: Pretty straightforward, Fisher will be at WC.
Central America & Caribbean: Now it gets interesting. I think Barton and Martínez are locks, so this leaves one (or at best two) spots left. I thought FIFA were 'done' with Escobar after rejecting his performance in WALIRI and not selecting him for CWC nor any other FIFA tournament for a long time, but he got the Arab Cup call-up along with who should be his biggest 'rival', Costa Rican Juan Gabriel Calderón who had a quite decent U20WC in 2023 but was strangely overlooked for two years straight after the tournament (there's also Herrera from CRC, but I think his chances in % are single digit). Caribbean refereeing seems to be in dire straits, only Nation has attended a 'serious' tournament in this cycle and he wasn't convincing, but if there has to be token Caribbean representation because of politics I could picture the Jamaican being called as a support referee.
Who is the favourite for the Copa Libertadores final?
DeleteValenzuela and Maza already had SFs, so maybe Matonte?
Matonte? I dont think so, he is a very weak referee for this level. My three candidates are Valenzuela, Darío Herrera and Ostojich
DeleteVery suspicious VAR intervention in Montenegro. I would like your opinion. IMO on field decision is at least supportable
ReplyDeleteThe player enters the challenge in a very dangerous manner. Putting unnecessary force. It can be absolutely assessed as reckless.
DeleteThe problem here, and I agree on this aspect as well, is that not all VAR would have called, given the previous touch on ball, so this is the problem when we use technology.
Thanks for the answer. I considered this as one of the situations in which VAR will support either call by the referee
Deletehttps://streamin.me/v/ded19b62
ReplyDeleteOFR for Meler, probably he assessed a fair tackle on the ball, but this was a reckless action. Agree with the call by Swiss VAR.
Meanwhile, in Germany no game at all. I didn't expect that.
Slovakia already satiisfied with second place, they didn't care.
Relaxed evening for Letexier, not surely needed here (but impossible to know before).
I would prefer no call here since the ball way clearly played first. I suppose he had to enter the challenge "recklessly" to get to the ball.
DeleteI wouldn´t we are satisfied with 2nd place, but we aren´t good enough. Germany totaly hammered us in 1s half.
DeleteWC 2026 Q MD10, Group A
ReplyDelete17.11.2025 20:45
Germany-Slovakia
R: F.Letexier (FRA) VAR: W.Delajod (FRA)
8´ Correct no foul on Svk7, fair challenge shoulder on shoulder
9´ Foul given to Svk GK, delayed whistle so probably told from AR1, good teamwork
14´ Correct no foul on Svk4, Ger player played ball first in tackle, also good non-verbal signal from AR1
24´ Good equipment inspection from 4O, subbing player (Svk19) hadn't shin guards and was asked to put them on
32´ Good foul whistled Ger19 tripped Svk7, hard to spot on
36´ Correct tight ONside situation before goal on 3:0, AR1 superb job so far
41´ Correct no foul on Svk14 fair challenge and slip before goal scored, also no offside, because ball was played by defender
48´ Correct IDK given to Her for a back pass, rare to see at this level
Delete70´ Correct YC given to Ger4 for illegal use of arms and SPA, signalized by AR1
Nothing to say about Letexier in Leipzig. It's simply a one-sided game and it should remain that way until the end of the match.
ReplyDeleteIt was not difficult but Letexiers style contributes to a fast game and he once again is a joy to watch as a refereeing fan.
ReplyDeleteWhat a mess that Slovakian player made. He passed the ball back to the goalkeeper and he had no other option lol
ReplyDeleteGood spotting by Letexier.
OFR in Northern Ireland - Luxembourg.
ReplyDeletehttps://streamain.com/en/wcxIzXkpzRdTchc/watch
Classic situation in which one has to understand who plays ball and who touches opponent. Very often not easy, not even after replays...
Handball OFR for Godinho, this one I would say maybe impossible to see live.
ReplyDeletehttps://streamin.me/v/x5wnhhbs
I continue to have difficulty with these VAR interventions. The ball also did not change direction due to the touch of the hand. You also see no players protesting.
DeleteUnacceptable extremely long check by Bebek and we know not first time for him. Then Referee invited to OFR and penalty to Malta. Annulled a goal by Poland scored after that. Not VAR stuff for me, VAR influenced by the goal scored.
ReplyDeletehttps://streamff.link/v/6ea991d4
Deleteimo, expected VAR intervention
Very poor mistake by AR2 in Montenegro. Never offside.
ReplyDeleteWhy is there no VAR for Kosovo vs Switzerland? Chefren?
DeleteI don't know, there can be late appointments or replacements, I think today we will have the name!
DeleteAfter last set of matches, once again I want to reflect on the use of VAR in European competitions. We know that Rosetti goal, as he himself stated, is to achieve uniformity of judgment with VAR officials from other countries who handle matches involving referees they don't know, or at least don't know on a regular basis. Well, once again, after last night, I feel obliged to underline how the implementation of video assistant refereeing, at the European level, in all UEFA matches, unless one wants to make a specific selection of elite games, in which case the discussion might be different, is not only destined to fail, but is also impossible to carry out. Even though many training camps are held, I recently heard about a VAR seminar aimed exactly at finding uniformity, as Rosetti himself claimed, but every time it seems that a VAR official, when faced with the footage, applies the concepts of his own ideas and his own mind. So what is the point of all this?
ReplyDeleteIn practice, in most cases, at least regarding penalty situations, which are almost always subjective, it becomes a matter of refereeing the match a second time rather than correcting mistakes. Take the intervention in Meler match in Montenegro - Croatia; yes, it's true that at a certain point some matches matter less, and that is probably the factor that is predominant, but the reality is that there is absolutely no uniformity. One VAR may think that a challenge where the defender first touches the ball but then still applies a certain amount of force to the opponent is a penalty, and about that, one could fully agree with the Swiss VAR's decision yesterday. Another VAR sees that same initial touch on the ball and, perhaps sticking more closely to the protocol or to his own ideas, stays silent. So what is the point of all this?
Matches end up being decided by external variables without any objectivity of error. At the same time, there could be a solution here, which would be to limit VAR intervention to penalty situations where the referee has truly mistaken one thing for another: a total absence of contact, a clear dive, but the obvious ones, those where everyone in the football world would agree. Otherwise, it is completely pointless. We are discussing refereeing and video refereeing as if they were two forms of refereeing within the same match, and that is not acceptable at all. I would have a more than big curiosity to speak with Rosetti about this topic, because the way things are today is useless for most of UEFA games. And we can also mention the intervention in Malta - Poland: after endless minutes, Bebek convinced himself, but the time he took, even acknowledging that the situation was complicated, shows us how he struggled to reach a final decision. But this is not good: there should be more immediacy when it comes to a clear and obvious error. This has been a longstanding problem; to me, refereeing matches in this way is useless. So just leave the on-field decision as it is, where someone can always come along and say, "Well, in my opinion, the referee did not make a mistake,". I would very much like to know your opinion, because we are discussing video refereeing as if we were discussing something on the same level as refereeing itself and that was not the reason why VAR was created, Rosetti knows very well that, his slogan "Minimum interference, maximum benefit". Really?
@chefren:
DeleteI can completely follow your way of thinking. But if you want to get unity in decision you first have to start changing the LOTG. In so many of the rules there are variables intended to make it more clear but in reality it makes it more complicated.
Handball: in this rule a REF or VAR has to see what is natural of not (1 degree higher or lower makes already impact). And there is a difference in attacking and defending. If you look at field hockey they have the rule of "foot". When the ball touches the fout it is a foul. Nothing with intention, natural or not. When it touches the fout you get a penalty of a free kick. And everybody knows it.
Offside: I heard Björn Kuipers saying in a interview that there are idea's to change this rule so that you can be offside with any bodypart and only when you are completely (with all of your bodyparts) in between the 2nd to last and last defender you are offside. In my humble opinion this creates the same situation with making lines and looking if there isn't a mm or a inch onside or not. Delete this rule. It is to complicated. When is it deflection? When not? How can you make sure that 200 referee's see it the same way. It is not black or white.
Last but definetly least, pressure. When looking for the new top elite referees pressure comes a long. Nobody wants to make a mistake and than people take desicions. Sometimes to be save, sometimes to show to commitee that he is doing right (eagerness). That will alway stay, no matter what you are changing to the rules. And than mistakes are being made.
So 100% uniformity? I don't think we will ever reach it.
And there
Difficult but very interesting topic. I don't think we'll ever reach 100%. I wonder if 90% is achievable. I agree with Fidje above that the rules make this impossible. We've already stated several times in this blog that the same handball in Italy would be a 100% VAR intervention, while in the Netherlands, play would always continue. Last year, the Dutch refereeing chief said there should be fewer interventions, and there was just as much fuss then as there is now, but this time about interventions not being given. There was also a recent cup match in the Netherlands with no VAR beacause early rounds where a penalty was so clearly missed, that it als can't be explained or accepted with all the available technology. Because the team that was eliminated would have continued if the penalty (and rc?) had been given
DeleteClip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RphV5FA0xGY actian start on 02:00
If there some one can expect champions league appointments for next week ? There is tough matches
ReplyDeleteBrazil - Tunisia (friendly)
ReplyDeleteReferee = Willy Delajod (FRA)
VAR = Jérôme Brisard (FRA)
Still waiting for ARs.
https://x.com/SpiderCarp23/status/1990524808325681376
ReplyDeletehttps://x.com/SC_ESPN/status/1990537867278397576
Comments? What everyone's talking about today is the scandalous refereeing in yesterday's Argentine first division match. Two strange penalties were awarded after VAR review, and at the end of the game, the referee threatened the visiting team's coach in response to complaints about the penalties: "We're going to talk, and I'm going to knock your teeth out." Unbelievable.
https://x.com/diegoborinsky/status/1990545104411767244
Tbh the part where he allegedly says "I'm going to knock your teeth out" is pretty unintelligible. All I can hear is "Vamos a hablar y te voy a romper [unintelligible]"
DeleteMy question goes towards Argentine Federation;
DeleteGame was very important,Barracas needed not to lose and Huracan needed a win to go to the Clausura playoffs.
Gariano is not on the scale like Herrera,Tello,Rapallini or some other big names in Argentina.
Why not appoint them since this was one of the biggest matches in last round?
Tbh, the biggest matches in Argentinian football have been this season almost monopolized by Nicolás Ramírez.
DeleteAnd Rapallini has been retired for quite some time now, he's the Argentinian RefCom technical director.
DeleteUnder 19 Qualifiers, in Croatia
ReplyDeleteGibraltar - Georgia: 7 red cards all in the added time of second half, the end of the game. Danish referee Karlsen with Kulbakov observer.
Unfortunately it will be very hard if not impossible to find a video, as the game doesn't involve host country, Croatia.
It doesn't happen in football anymore, very likely a more than serious mass confrontation.
MD6 CONCACAF 3rd Qualifying Round
ReplyDeleteGUASUR- Juan Calderón (CRC)
PANSLV- Said Martinez (HON)
JAMCUW- Ivan Barton (SLV)
TYTBER- José Torres (PUR)
CRCHON- Drew Fischer (CAN)
HAINCA- Mario Escobar (GUA)
With a victory by Suriname, Jamaica and Haiti, for the first time in history 3 Caribbean teams would qualify for WC.
All the games with some importance, except Trinidad-Bermuda... both selections completely eliminated.
Ιn paper, Escobar with a sub-par appointment in the meaning that Haiti might not even be one of the 2 best Second-placed teams.
DeleteI wonder if that's an indication about his WC chances....
I'm not an Escobar fan, but the over-reading of some stuff goes really far quite often.
DeleteEscobar cannot go in Group A, as Guatemala is there. One of the Group B matches is meaningless and the other is a home Jamaica match, which Escobar has already done.
He had to go in Group C. Both matches are quite important. Fischer happened to get what is traditionally viewed as the hotter one. But Haiti has all to play for. Best second is in play (particularly if Jamaica loses at home) but more importantly so is first place. It's not like Honduras is odds-on favorites to take all 3 points in the other match.
The DTA has submitted its proposal for its 2026 FIFA list of French referees:
ReplyDeleteMale referees:
- No changes from 2025.
Female referee:
- Emeline Rochebiliere (proposed again, as was the case last year)
- Same as 2025
Male assistant referees:
- Mikaël Berchebru (former FIFA referee between 2021 and 2024)
- Same as 2025
Female assistant referees:
- Siham Boudina (new)
- Same as 2025
Video Referees:
- Same as 2025 but with several changes
- Retirements: Clément Turpin, François Letexier, and Benoît Bastien
- New: Nicolas Rainville (former FIFA), Marc Boulangier, Elisa Daupeux, Cyril Gringore (former FIFA Assistant), Hamid Guenaoui, and Victoria Beyer.
Uae vs Iraq, final afc qualifying match. vAR awards p.k. in 10th minute of injury time. Unbelievable scenes in Baghdad
ReplyDeleteFortunately this time correct VAR intervention. Hard to spot live from Araki position.
DeleteIf the referee is Anthony Taylor, maybe there would be no drama because surely he would be whistle at the corner :))
DeleteCan I ask at that scenario, could you ask the players to going on the middle of the field because that was their last kick and should be no time for rebound?
Penalty given to WAL ... minimal contact but probably not a dive so on-field decision stays.
ReplyDeleteContact from behind. Protests by North Macedonia players, Makkelie at first didn't want, but then he had to book keeper (you could see clearly a change in his approach).
DeletePoor first half from Mariani. Very slow paced and fair game, and still managed to get the only two YC situations completely wrong.
ReplyDeleteAustria - Bosnia and Herzegovina, here we go with another wrong OFR.
ReplyDeletei agree
DeleteLooking a the body language of the Portuguese referee, I think Pinheiro was about to refuse the call, but in the end he didn't dare to do that.
DeleteI am not convinced by the VAR intervention in AUT - BIH, the referee sees the foul and lets play continue, he tells the player to get up.
ReplyDeleteClear foul AUT-BIH, correct call from VAR room and correct final decision
ReplyDeleteMasterclass from Marchinak in Glasgow so far
ReplyDeleteas usual
DeletePinheiro to bad for such a game. No OFR stuff. No clear wrong decision. It's a matter of interpretation.
ReplyDeleteVideo:
ReplyDeletehttps://streamin.me/v/dd5cadc4
I think Pinheiro was in a good position to see it. It looked like he was about to whistle (it happens very often in his games), then he played on. But he saw wha had happened, then why allowing game to continue? Once taken this decision, he should have confirmed it at monitor, otherwise, if the OFR is correct, must be assessed as very big on field mistake by the Portuguese referee.
The replay shows the referee dismissing the foul, then on the monitor he doesn't seem very convinced about calling the foul.
DeleteLaimer goes straight into the back of the Bosnian attacker, I think foul is absolutely the expected decision here. Obviously Pinheiro's body language wasn't very convincing but for me it's hard to argue against OFR in this situation tbh
ReplyDeleteIt's a typical play where the player feels the contact and exaggerates; if the blow was to the back and then he touches his ankle...
DeleteYes he exaggerates a bit, but you still have to look at the evidence, you can't just dismiss it due to the player's reaction
DeleteVery long VAR check and subsequent OFR (most likely to confirm position) in Glasgow. Imo it was a clear foul and very surprised to see Marciniak needing an OFR for that
ReplyDeleteYes, strange that Marciniak didn't give a foul live.
DeleteThen literally a borderline decision regarding the position, which understandably took quite some time.
Maybe debatable, whether there actually is enough proof for the decison, that it was inside.
That was a veery clear foul. Nothing to add.
DeleteNow second YC by Marciniak for SPA.
I'm not convinced the SPA was a foul, rather simulation
DeleteI think the footage shown during OFR was only to show the best angle for the foul. As position is factual, no need to prove it for Marciniak
DeleteClear foul yes but could he tell from those angles that it was inside the box? Looked just outside. Poor decision for 2YC there also
ReplyDeleteAfter replays that is never ever a yc, which leads to a second yc.
ReplyDeleteWhat is Marciniak doing?
ReplyDeleteI have never seen him like this never a red card ( second yc)!
DeleteMarciniak made a grave mistake.
ReplyDelete2 mistakes
Deleteyes, never a pen
Delete+1
DeleteMarciniak trying to even up the poor penalty decision with a red card.
DeleteVery poor 2nd yellow. Comparison with other stronger foul contacts not given. In consisteny foul penalising
ReplyDeletePenalty was just about correct. 2nd yellow looked correct watching it live but on the replay probably wrong decision.
ReplyDeleteSo you think it was inside the box?
DeleteHis foot was on the line and the contact was on Robertson's leg which is directly above his foot....
Delete2 YC for that??? really???, and the foul of the penalty....mmmm... for me the player seeks contact, dives in, never fouls
ReplyDeleteCan someone post the Denmark two yellow cards, for the red card. Please!
ReplyDeleteIf you give the foul you've got to give a YC?
ReplyDeleteMany other fouls not given to both teams Then this 2nd yelow is inconsistent in comparing others not penalissed.
DeleteCan someone explain why VAR reacted to annul Austrian goal for foul (pushing from behind 70 meters away grom goal) and VAR didn’t react when Scotland score second goal because there was obvious pushing from behind in PK area??? How this is possible???
ReplyDeletemysteries of VAR.....
Delete