Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor Named as Referees for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Two of England’s most recognisable football referees are heading to the biggest stage in the sport this summer. Premier League officials Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor have been selected by FIFA to officiate at the 2026 World Cup, which kicks off on 11 June across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
For both men, this is not their first time. It is the second time Oliver, 41, and Taylor, 47, have been selected for the major tournament, after they both refereed in Qatar four years ago.
Who Are Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor?
If you watch Premier League football regularly, you have almost certainly seen these two in action, usually at the centre of some form of controversy, because that is simply the nature of refereeing at the highest level.
Michael Oliver, 41, is widely regarded as one of the best referees in English football. He became famous beyond the sport’s regular audience in 2018 when he awarded a last-minute penalty against Real Madrid in a Champions League quarter-final, a decision that ended with Madrid’s goalkeeper Keylor Navas being sent off. It was a moment that required enormous courage, and it showed exactly why FIFA trusts him on the biggest occasions.
Anthony Taylor, 47, has been a Premier League referee since 2010 and has built a reputation as one of the most experienced officials in the game. Like Oliver, he has refereed at the very top of European football, including Champions League and international matches, making him a natural pick for a tournament of this scale.
England’s Full Officiating Team at the 2026 World Cup
It is not just the two main referees representing England this summer. England will be well-represented with six officials in total. In addition to Oliver and Taylor, assistant referees Gary Beswick, Stuart Burt, James Mainwaring, and Adam Nunn have been appointed to support the English contingent throughout the tournament.
There will be only one Premier League representative in the VAR booth, in the form of Australian official Jarred Gillett, who has been refereeing in the English top flight since 2021.
This year’s World Cup is the biggest in history. The 2026 FIFA World Cup marks a historic expansion from the traditional 32-team format to 48 participating nations, significantly increasing the number of matches and requiring a larger pool of qualified officials.
In total, 52 on-field referees, 88 assistant referees, and 30 video assistant referees will be used this summer.
How Were the Referees Chosen?
FIFA said the process of choosing the officials spanned more than three years and was “based on quality and consistency of performances at the highest level.” The selected officials were part of a wider pool that was identified and monitored over that period, attending seminars and officiating at FIFA tournaments, while their performances in domestic and international matches were regularly assessed.
Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s chief refereeing officer and himself a legendary referee who took charge of the 2002 World Cup final, was unequivocal in his assessment of those selected. “The selected match officials are the very best in the world,” said Collina, adding that FIFA will “leave no stone unturned in ensuring that our match officials are fully prepared.”
