Published On 4/28/2026
Press reports stated that the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has removed a referee from officiating the 2026 World Cup matches, after he was arrested on charges of sexual assault in the United Kingdom.
According to British press reports, the London Metropolitan Police arrested the referee (in his thirties) inside a hotel, where he was present to officiate a European Football Association (UEFA) match.
Read also
list of 2 itemsend of list
On Tuesday, FIFA announced its awareness of the serious allegation, after the British newspaper The Sun published details of the alleged assault on a teenage boy.
He added in a statement that the referee’s nomination will not be considered for any FIFA competition match.
The Sun newspaper reported that the Metropolitan Police in London released a man in his thirties on bail.
The identity of the referee was not revealed in the reports, nor was the name of the European match he was officiating for UEFA mentioned.
The European Football Association (UEFA) said: “We are following the situation with great concern, and we will continue to follow developments closely.”
This month, FIFA published a list of 52 main referees, 88 assistant referees, and 30 video assistant referees (VAR) who were selected for the 104-match World Cup, which is hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
