The referee of the Morocco-Senegal final crisis was excluded from the World Cup

The final list of referees for the 2026 World Cup, revealed by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), witnessed the exclusion of Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala from officiating the upcoming World Cup matches in America, Canada and Mexico.

This decision came despite the presence of his name in the initial nominations of the African Union, but FIFA decided on the final list without him, in the wake of the arbitration controversy that accompanied his management of the 2025 African Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal.

The FIFA Referees Committee approved 52 field referees, 88 assistant referees, and 30 video technology referees, distributed among the six continental federations.

The arbitration crews were selected based on criteria of competence and technical readiness to manage the first historic edition, which will witness the participation of 48 teams, and is scheduled to start next June 11.