Among them will be the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Zari Fathi and Gelareh Nazemi, the first-ever female referees to officiate in an AFC men’s futsal competition when they were appointed to the AFC Futsal Asian Cup™ in 2022. Highly experienced in handling some of the biggest stages in the world, the duo also notably took charge at the UEFA Women's Futsal Euro 2019.

 

The cast will see China PR’s Liang Qingyun make a comeback after overseeing the Finals of both the AFC Women’s Futsal Asian Cup™ China 2025 and the AFC Women’s Futsal Championship 2018.

Japan’s Kana Saito, who officiated in the Semi-final of the 2025 edition and earned elevation to the AFC Elite Panel in 2023, has also been appointed, alongside compatriot Mari Yamamoto, who oversaw the third-place Playoff in the same tournament.

 

Meanwhile, Reem Albishi will break new ground for Saudi Arabia with her debut on the global stage, which will mark the first-ever appearance of a female referee from the Kingdom at a FIFA World Cup.

Malaysia’s Nurul Atikah Janah, who received her FIFA badge in 2023 and has taken charge of men’s matches both locally and internationally, refereed the Final of the 2023 AFF Futsal Club Championship in Korat, Thailand, while Thailand’s Panadda Khotsenaphattra, who made history as the first woman referee at the 2019 AFF Futsal Cup before later serving as a referee at the 2021 AFF Futsal Club Championship, further strengthens the Asian line-up.

Completing the cast is China PR’s Zhu Xin, who officiated in the Continental Final earlier this year and will now serve as Support Referee in the global showpiece.