Featuring 32 teams for the first time, the competition was contested across 12 venues in 11 Host Cities in the United States, with the all-important Final between English side Chelsea FC and France’s Paris Saint-Germain set to take place at the MetLife Stadium outside New York.

Faghani has enjoyed an exemplary tournament, having officiated three matches so far, including the opening match, a Group C tie between Argentine club Boca Juniors and German giants Bayern Munich, before overseeing Chelsea’s high-octane Quarter-final encounter against Brazil’s SE Palmeiras.

With the upcoming Final marking yet another milestone in his illustrious international career, the two-time recipient of the AFC Referee of the Year award previously officiated the Final of the FIFA Club World Cup between River Plate and FC Barcelona in 2015.

No stranger to the world’s biggest stages, the 47-year-old has also featured in three editions of the FIFA World Cup and has taken charge of some of the most high-profile matches in recent history, including the Men’s tournament Final at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and the third place play-off at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

 

One of the most renowned officials in the AFC’s roster, Faghani has also blown the whistle at four editions of the AFC Asian Cup™, including the Final in Australia 2015 and, most recently, at Qatar 2023.

Meanwhile, Beecham and Shchetinin, bringing a wealth of experience to the table, were part of the officiating team at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates in 2021 and have both been appointed at the FIFA World Cup and multiple editions of the AFC Asian Cups.