As FIFA looks to ensure its match officials reach peak performance for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ in Canada, Mexico and the United States this summer, the first in a series of intensive refereeing seminars was held in Rio de Janeiro. The seminar brought together 24 top referees from 16 different CONMEBOL and Concacaf countries to hone their skills and intensify their preparation for the tournament. The week-long programme consisted of a demanding schedule of morning on-field physical sessions and afternoon theoretical sessions. To provide realistic match scenarios, officials worked on the pitch with the U20 team of Olaria, a traditional Rio de Janeiro club. Director of FIFA Refereeing Massimo Busacca supervised the sessions which had been planned with Pierluigi Collina, the Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee.

Mr Busacca highlighted the need for officials to prepare with the same level of professionalism and detail as the players who will perform on the biggest stage at this summer’s tournament, which kicks off on 11 June and concludes with the final at MetLife Stadium in New York New Jersey on 19 July. “The referee must always be in the right place at the right moment. We have to go on the pitch every day to prepare this, like top players do,” he said. “It’s very important. It’s crucial. We have five months to go until the FIFA World Cup and this is really a very important seminar for our match officials.” The morning sessions involved on-field simulations of match situations along with fitness work and medical checks for the referees who remain the absolute authority on the field of play, despite technological innovations designed to assist them.

With the tournament expanding from 32 to 48 teams, the bar for performance is set high and Mr Busacca explained the scale of the challenge. “I’m positive because of how hard we work,” he said. “We are really delivering everything to our match officials on technical, on physical and medical aspects to arrive prepared.” American referee Tori Penso, who officiated the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup™ final, noted the seminar’s comprehensive approach. “Here in the seminar, we are working on a number of things. We are working on consistency in our decision-making,” she said. “So, we are looking at clips and technical analysis. We are here at the fields in the mornings working on the physical and the mental aspects of the game; we are working with players on some key incidents. They stretch us pretty tough here on the pitch. And then we go into the classroom and we do some more technical analysis. We work on the medical: how can we get just a little bit better – our bodies and our minds – in preparation for the FIFA World Cup.” Ms Penso expressed the excitement and sense of privilege that the elite referees feel at being in contention to officiate at the biggest tournament in the game. “To be a part of the FIFA World Cup in 2026 would be a dream come true. It really would,” she said. “It is something I thought about a long, long time ago and I didn’t think it was possible at all, and to be here just at this stage of the game is an incredible privilege, one I don’t take lightly.” The systematic "Team One" preparation continues with upcoming seminars in Doha, Qatar for AFC, CAF and OFC referees and Dubai, United Arab Emirates for UEFA referees. Following the seminars, the FIFA Referees Committee will announce the list of match officials selected for the FIFA World Cup 2026.