Comprising eight referees, 12 assistant referees, and five VMOs, the lineup will feature five debutants alongside experienced campaigners Alireza Faghani and Abdulrahman Al Jassim, who will be returning for their fourth and third FIFA World Cup appearances respectively.

 

In addition, China PR’s Ma Ning will feature in the competition for a second time, having been appointed as fourth official in six matches in 2022.

One of Asia’s most trusted officials, Al Jassim has overseen several high-profile fixtures, including the AFC Champions League Elite™ Final in 2025 and multiple matches at the AFC Asian Cup™ in 2019 and 2023. The 38-year-old Qatari made his FIFA World Cup debut as a VMO in 2018 before officiating twice at the 2022 edition on home soil, including the third-place playoff between Croatia and Morocco.

Faghani, widely regarded as one of Asia’s finest referees and a consistent presence on the global stage, has previously officiated at the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups, after initially being appointed as a support referee in 2014. Having officiated in three successive AFC Asian Cups, the 48-year-old took charge of the FIFA Club World Cup Final in 2025 and is also remembered for overseeing the gold-medal match at the Rio 2016 Olympics.

Meanwhile, Ma Ning will now step into the spotlight as a referee. The 46-year-old, who made history in 2024 as the first referee from China PR to take charge of an AFC Asian Cup™ Final, also featured at the FIFA Club World Cup.

 

Among the five debutants, Saudi Arabia’s Khalid Al Turais has been a regular in major AFC competitions, including the AFC Asian Cup 2023™, the AFC Champions League Elite™, and the AFC Champions League Two™. The 2026 edition of the FIFA World Cup will mark the 38-year-old’s second appearance in a FIFA competition after his appointment at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025.

Japan’s Yusuke Araki is another notable inclusion, having made his continental breakthrough during the AFC Asian Cup™ in 2019. The 39-year-old has frequently contributed to the Confederation, officiating in the erstwhile AFC Cup™ as well as various age-group national team competitions, and was recognised as the J.League Referee of the Year last year.

Also making the list is Uzbekistan’s Ilgiz Tantashev, who, besides his consistent appearances on the continental stage in both club and national team competitions, was appointed to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where he blew the whistle on four different occasions.

Earning his maiden FIFA World Cup call-up, the United Arab Emirates’ Omar Al Ali is another reliable figure on the continental circuit. A graduate of the AFC’s Project Future, the 38-year-old notably officiated the quarter-final match between Spain and Germany at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Indonesia 2023.

 

Rounding off the debutants is Jordan’s Adham Makhadmeh, one of the most prominent referees in West Asia. Having previously appeared at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the 38-year-old boasts an impressive resume, with appearances across continental and regional competitions, including the AFC Asian Cup™, AFC Champions League Elite™, AFC Asian Qualifiers™ and the ASEAN Championship.

 

To see the full list of officials, please click here.