Al Ali is the third Emirati field referee in the World Cup

The Emirates Football Association announced yesterday that the International Federation (FIFA) has officially selected an Emirati refereeing team, led by international referee Omar Al Ali, international assistant referee Mohammed Ahmed Youssef, and video referee Mohammed Obaid Khadem, to participate in officiating the 2026 World Cup finals matches, scheduled to begin next June, and hosted by the United States of America, Mexico and Canada, with the participation of 48 teams.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, President of the Emirates Football Association, congratulated the Emirati football family on the occasion of the selection of the Emirati refereeing team, led by Omar Al Ali, on the list of referees for the 2026 World Cup finals. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan said: “We congratulate the Emirati football family on the occasion of selecting international referee Omar Al Ali, international assistant referee Mohammed Ahmed Youssef, and video referee Mohammed Obaid Khadem, on the list of referees for the 2026 World Cup finals. The Emirati whistle has reached advanced levels and achieved continuous successes, locally, continentally and internationally.”

He added: “The selection of an Emirati refereeing team to participate in managing the matches of the largest football event in the world is evidence of the international football community’s confidence in Emirati arbitration.”

Omar Al Ali, who will appear for the first time in this event, is the third Emirati field referee present in the World Cup, after he was preceded by the two former World Cup referees, Ali Bujasim and Mohammed Abdullah Hassan.

This is also the third time in a row that there has been an Emirati referee in the World Cup, and the eighth time historically after the World Cup referee Ali Bujasim was found three times in the 1994, 1998 and 2002 World Cups, and the former World Cup assistant referee Issa Darwish in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, and the former World Cup assistant referee Saleh Al Marzouqi who was found in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and Muhammad Abdullah Hassan who was found in the World Cup. 2018 in Russia and 2022 in Qatar.

The selection of the Emirati arbitration team was well-deserved, as international referee Omar Al Ali appeared in the recent period with an advanced arbitration level, qualifying him to be present in this historic event for the first time in his career.

Omar Al Ali, who is the first Emirati referee to graduate from the Asian Football Confederation’s Future Referees Project in 2014, began his refereeing career in 2010, and won the international refereeing badge in 2015.

Al Ali also recently participated in managing many important matches, locally and abroad. He also participated in the tournament held by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) in Doha last February, and then qualified for the shortlist of referees nominated by three continental football federations (Asian, African and Oceanian) to manage the 2026 World Cup matches, before his name was officially announced yesterday.

. Ali Bujasim participated in 3 World Cups as a referee in 1994, 1998, and 2002. And Muhammad Abdullah Hassan participated in 2018 and 2022.