The FIFA Referees Committee has appointed 54 match officials (14 referees, 28 assistant referees and 12 video match officials) from 23 Member Associations to officiate at the second edition of the FIFA Arab Cup™, the final stage of which is to be held in Qatar from 1 to 18 December.

The competition will kick off with seven single-legged qualification matches that are scheduled to take place on 25 and 26 November. The winners of those contests will join hosts Qatar and eight other national teams who qualified automatically for the 16-team final stage, which will be contested between 1 and 18 December.

The hosts are set to face either Palestine or Libya at Al Bayt Stadium on the opening day of the final phase, with the curtain to come down on the competition in the much-awaited tournament decider at Lusail Stadium. A total of six venues – all of which were used during the FIFA World Cup 2022™ – will host matches as 16 nations from across the AFC and CAF vie for regional supremacy.

The appointed match officials will be closely monitored before and during the competition by a team of technical specialists, including FIFA referee and video match official instructors, fitness coaches, physiotherapists and sports scientists, in order to ensure that they are provided with the best possible preparation and support.

The FIFA Arab Cup™ represents another important step on the road to the FIFA World Cup 26™ for the match officials involved.