Referees - Latest News

AFC Referee Instructor Certification 2026 sets benchmark for referee education

Fri, 28 Aug, 2026

AFC Referee Instructor Certification 2026 sets benchmark for referee education

Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Referee Instructor Certification 2026 concluded in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, featuring three parallel programmes aimed at refining referee education across the Continent.

Held from August 25 to 28, the four-day programme comprised dedicated Football, Futsal and Fitness Instructor Certification courses, each tailored to the specific technical and performance requirements of the respective discipline.

AFC Elite Futsal Referees Seminar reaffirms commitment to excellence

Fri, 28 Aug, 2026

AFC Elite Futsal Referees Seminar reaffirms commitment to excellence

Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Elite Futsal Referees Seminar 2026 concluded successfully on Friday, bringing to a close five days of capacity building for the continent’s elite futsal referees.

 Taking place from August 17 to 21, the seminar was attended by 51 participants from across the AFC’s Member Associations (MAs), who enhanced their knowledge and skills under the guidance of futsal refereeing experts.

Roadmap finalised for #AsianCup2027 match officials

Tue, 11 Aug, 2026

Roadmap finalised for #AsianCup2027 match officials

Kuala Lumpur: The road towards the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ for the Continent’s elite match officials was charted today during the 4th AFC Referees Committee Meeting.

Led virtually by Chairperson Hany Taleb Al-Raeesi, the meeting locked in key preparation milestones to ensure the Continent's refereeing standards match the magnitude of the upcoming 19th edition.

AFC Elite Referees Seminar 2026 sets tone for new season

Fri, 07 Aug, 2026

AFC Elite Referees Seminar 2026 sets tone for new season

Tashkent, Tokyo: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC)’s commitment to elevating the capabilities of its match officials took centrestage once again at the AFC Elite Referees Seminar 2026.

Taking place from August 3 to 7, the programme was conducted simultaneously in the West (Tashkent, Uzbekistan) and East (Tokyo, Japan) regions, bringing together 176 match officials to assess and enhance their skills ahead of the 2026/27 season.

AFC Beach Soccer Referees Seminar 2026 concludes successfully

Fri, 31 Jul, 2026

AFC Beach Soccer Referees Seminar 2026 concludes successfully

Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Beach Soccer Referees Seminar 2026 concluded on Friday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Taking place for the first time since 2019, the five-day programme brought together 22 referees from across the Continent, providing them with a valuable platform to further develop their knowledge and technical expertise as they continue their pursuit of the highest officiating standards in Asian beach soccer.

https://www.the-afc.com/en/about_afc/referees.html/photo/afc-elite-women-referees-assistant-referees-seminar-2026

AFC elite women’s match officials gear up for 2026/27 season

Mon, 27 Jul, 2026

AFC elite women’s match officials gear up for 2026/27 season

Kuala Lumpur: Asia’s top women referees and assistant referees ramped up preparations for the upcoming season with a five-day seminar that concluded on July 24 (Friday), 2026.

A total of 84 elite match officials participated in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Elite Women Referees & Assistant Referees Seminar 2026, which was overseen by nine AFC Instructors—six technical and three fitness—ahead of the 2026/27 season.

FIFA World Cup 2026 spotlight: Yusuke Araki – AFC Referee

Wed, 03 Jun, 2026

FIFA World Cup 2026 spotlight: Yusuke Araki – AFC Referee

Kuala Lumpur: A total of 25 match officials are set to represent the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) at the upcoming FIFA World Cup, which will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

Ahead of their campaign on the world’s grandest stage, the-AFC.com caught up with the officials who will be blowing the whistle in the 2026 edition of the global showpiece.

FIFA World Cup 2026 spotlight: Shaun Evans – AFC Video Match Official

Wed, 03 Jun, 2026

FIFA World Cup 2026 spotlight: Shaun Evans – AFC Video Match Official

Kuala Lumpur: A total of 25 match officials are set to represent the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) at the upcoming FIFA World Cup, which will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

Ahead of their campaign on the world’s grandest stage, the-AFC.com caught up with the officials who will be blowing the whistle in the 2026 edition of the global showpiece.

FIFA World Cup 2026 spotlight: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim – AFC Referee

Wed, 03 Jun, 2026

FIFA World Cup 2026 spotlight: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim – AFC Referee

Kuala Lumpur: A total of 25 match officials are set to represent the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) at the upcoming FIFA World Cup, which will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

Ahead of their campaign on the world’s grandest stage, the-AFC.com caught up with the officials who will be blowing the whistle in the 2026 edition of the global showpiece.

FIFA World Cup 2026 spotlight: Adham Makhadmeh – AFC Referee

Wed, 03 Jun, 2026

FIFA World Cup 2026 spotlight: Adham Makhadmeh – AFC Referee

Kuala Lumpur: A total of 25 match officials are set to represent the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) at the upcoming FIFA World Cup, which will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

Ahead of their campaign on the world’s grandest stage, the-AFC.com caught up with the officials who will be blowing the whistle in the 2026 edition of the global showpiece.

FIFA World Cup 2026 spotlight: Ma Ning – AFC Referee

Sat, 06 Jun, 2026

FIFA World Cup 2026 spotlight: Ma Ning – AFC Referee

Kuala Lumpur: A total of 25 match officials are set to represent the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) at the upcoming FIFA World Cup, which will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

Ahead of their campaign on the world’s grandest stage, the-AFC.com caught up with the officials who will be blowing the whistle in the 2026 edition of the global showpiece.