The cast of officials was led by AFC Referee Academy graduate Choi Hyun-jai. Hailing from the Korea Republic, Choi was part of Batch 2017 and received his FIFA badge in 2020.

 

A regular in the K League, the 35-year-old also took charge of the quarter-final tie between Portugal and Switzerland, after blowing the whistle in two group stage matches and the Round of 32 clash between Germany and Burkina Faso.

 

Earlier this year, Choi made his debut in the AFC Champions League Elite when he officiated the clash between China PR’s Shanghai Port FC and Japanese side Vissel Kobe (JPN), after having lent his services as Video Assistant Referee in the Final of the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2025™, with compatriot Cheon Jin-hee serving as Assistant Referee 2.

 

In discharging his duties for the third-place Play-off, the Seoul native was once again assisted by Cheon, alongside Bang Gi-yeol, also from the Korea Republic, both of whom made their Continental bows in the AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26™.

 

Additionally, the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 marked the first instance where all five Asian referees appointed were graduates of the AFC Referee Academy; alongside Choi, the quartet of Faisal Sulaiman Albalawi (Saudi Arabia), Mohammed Ahmed Al-Shammari (Qatar), Hiroki Kasahara (Japan) and Rustam Lutfullin (Uzbekistan) also hailed from Batch 2017, further reiterating the AFC’s ambitions to be a model Confederation.