UAE referee team return home after successful FIFA World Cup campaign
Emirati trio were among 52 referees, 88 assistant referees and 30 VARs chosen by FIFA
Referee Omar Al Ali, assistant referee Mohamed Al Hammadi and video assistant referee Mohammed Obaid Khadim all returned to the UAE after a successful campaign at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Emirati trio were among 52 referees, 88 assistant referees and 30 video assistant referees (VARs) chosen by FIFA for the showpiece event from across all six continental confederations.
The UAE officiating team took charge of 10 matches during the tournament, including the group-stage encounter between Egypt and New Zealand, delivering performances that earned praise from the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA).
Eighth appearance
The selections were made in line with FIFA’s long-standing “quality first” principle, with officials assessed on the consistency of their performances at FIFA tournaments, as well as in recent international and domestic competitions.
Before the start of the tournament in US, Mexico and Canada, Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s Chief Refereeing Officer and chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, had said: “The selected match officials are the very best in the world. They were part of a wider pool of officials that was identified and monitored over the past three years.
“They have attended seminars and officiated at FIFA tournaments. In addition, their performances in domestic and international matches were regularly assessed. The selected officials have received, and will continue to receive, comprehensive support from our fitness coaches and medical staff, including physiotherapists and a mental specialist. Our goal is to ensure that they’re in optimal physical and mental condition when they arrive in Miami on 31 May.
“This year’s FIFA World Cup will be the biggest in history, with a 48-team line-up and 104 matches to be contested across the most extensive geographical footprint in the tournament’s history,” Collina continued.”
Ali Bujsaim was the first UAE match official to appear at a FIFA World Cup, officiating at the 1994 tournament in the United States. He also went on to referee at the 1998 World Cup and later at the 2002 World Cup, further strengthening UAE representation on football’s biggest stage.
More recently, an all-Emirati officiating team took charge of a group-stage match between France and Peru at the 2022 World Cup, with Mohammed Abdullah Hassan as the referee, assisted by Mohammed Ahmed Al Hammadi and Hassan Al Mahry.
