Alkass Digital
FIFA has revealed the preliminary list of Asia’s referees for the 2026 World Cup, set to take place in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, featuring two esteemed Qatari referees, Abdulrahman Al-Jassim and Salman Falahi.
Abdulrahman Al-Jassim,37-year-old, has a distinguished career as a FIFA international referee since 2013.
His notable assignments include officiating at the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup in South Korea and serving as a Video Assistant Referee at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Al-Jassim's expertise was further recognized at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates, the AFC Champions League, and the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup final in Qatar.
His contribution to football officiating was again highlighted when he was selected as part of the refereeing team for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Salman Falahi, 24-year-old, joined the ranks of FIFA referees in 2017 and became a video assistant referee in 2021.
His refereeing journey began in the Qatar Stars League in February 2014, and he has since led games in various national competitions.
Internationally, Falahi made his debut in the AFC Champions League on April 27, 2022, and has since officiated at the 2022 U-23 Asian Championship, including the final between Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia, as well as at the 2023 Gulf Cup and the 2023 U-20 World Cup.
He is also nominated to officiate at the 2024 Asian Championships.
The 2026 World Cup, hosted by three countries, will mark a historic expansion of the tournament to include 48 participating countries for the first time.