Referees from Asia, Africa and Oceania took their next steps towards officiating in the FIFA World Cup 2026™ when they participated in the second of a series of intensive refereeing seminars.

To ensure its match officials reach peak performance ahead of the FIFA World Cup, FIFA is hosting a series of seminars around the world, with the latest edition held in Doha, Qatar.

With 2026 set to be the biggest and most inclusive FIFA World Cup ever, these sessions play an important role in preparing referees for the tournament, a process which began almost four years ago at the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.

AFC, CAF and OFC referees were the beneficiaries of Doha seminar, following Concacaf and CONMEBOL match officials participating in the first seminar held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in January.

“We have been preparing for this FIFA World Cup for almost four years. So, the day after we finished Qatar, we already started preparation and this is what is making the difference in our philosophy,” said Director of FIFA Refereeing Massimo Busacca.

As well as fitness and medical checks, referees participated in practical and theoretical sessions designed to replicate realistic match scenarios, highlight key incidents, and enhance match awareness and decision making.

Professionalism and detail were two major focuses of the seminar, with FIFA aiming to match the same level of tournament preparation that players undergo.

“There is not much difference between a referee and a player. Players are preparing for the game; the referees are doing the same. The referee has to understand football, has to eat football, has to understand how to move and has to understand in which position they have to be in in crucial situations for a decision to be taken.

“The same way a player wants to score a goal or a defender wants to stop the attacker, for a referee, it’s the same. We are not scoring goals, but our goal is to understand what is going on in the game. It is really in relation not only to the personality of the referee but more on how he’s prepared.”

Somali referee Omar Abdulkhadir Artan, who was the first from his country to officiate at a FIFA tournament, said that elite preparation is crucial to ensure high performance on the world stage.

“We work every day to prepare and be the best we can be in the tournament so that the teams can benefit from this and have good decisions from the officials. That's why we are preparing for this.”

Artan said the seminar was a key part of both FIFA World Cup preparation and his individual referee development.

“We have a lot of instructors who are trying to implement, to give us the latest ideas, so that we can be at the FIFA World Cup in the best shape. Our targets in terms of fitness, in terms of technical decisions, in terms of understanding the laws of the game, so that we can facilitate teams to perform at the FIFA World Cup in the best way.”

Following the seminars, the FIFA Referees Committee will announce the list of match officials selected for the FIFA World Cup 2026.