Among the Asian officials debuting at the FIFA World Cup 2026, Jordan’s Adham Makhadmeh will make history at the FIFA World Cup 2026 by becoming the country’s first-ever main referee at the global showpiece.

Over the course of the past decade, Irbid native Makhadmeh has time and again proven his mettle as one of Asia’s most able referees and has overseen matches in the AFC Asian Cup™ in 2019 and 2023, and has also featured in AFC club competitions in every edition for the past 11 years.

The 39-year-old’s resume further includes appointments to several prestigious global competitions, including the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020, the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2019, as well as appearances at the FIFA Arab Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup in 2025.