Zurich, April 14 (QNA) – The FIFA Referees Committee today announced the list of referees who will officiate matches at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, scheduled to take place from June 14 to July 13 in 12 stadiums across the United States.

The matches will be officiated by 117 referees, including 35 referees, 58 assistant referees, and 24 video assistant referees (VARs), from 41 member associations.

The list includes four referees from Qatar: Salman Falahi (main referee), Ramzan Al-Nuaimi and Majed Al-Shammari (assistant referees), and Khamis Al-Marri (video assistant referee).

The list was selected following a comprehensive preparation process that included seminars with FIFA referees from all six continental confederations.

Commenting on the appointment of the tournament’s refereeing team, known as Team One, Pierluigi Collina, Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, said, “Participating in the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup will be a source of pride for the selected referees. With each new competition, the selected referees are honored to be part of this first-time event, so I’m sure all the referees will be delighted.”

He added, “Given the high performances demonstrated during recent FIFA tournaments, expectations are higher than ever, and when you reach a higher level, maintaining that level becomes even more difficult. But we are working hard as a team, and Team One will make a significant contribution to the success of this exciting competition.”

For his part, Massimo Busacca, FIFA’s Director of Refereeing, said, “I would like to emphasize the similarities between preparing a football team and a refereeing team, as both require hard work and performance at the highest level.”

He added: “We are trying to achieve as much consistency and uniform standards as possible in our work because football is the same game everywhere, but we know that we have to be aware of the different mentalities in football, and this is extremely important.”

In line with the amendments to the Laws of the Game approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), FIFA will implement new rules aimed at reducing time-wasting by goalkeepers. The amended rules now stipulate that a corner kick will be awarded to the opposing team if the goalkeeper holds the ball for more than eight seconds. The referee will use a clear hand gesture to start a five-second countdown, unlike the current procedure, which awards an indirect free kick after six seconds.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) expressed its support for FIFA’s pledge to conduct tests involving body cameras worn by match officials to assess the feasibility of this system in the future, while working to develop related quality and safety standards. It was decided to install body cameras on referees during Club World Cup matches on a trial basis, with the cameras providing live footage to a global audience via DAZN, the exclusive broadcaster of the 2025 Club World Cup worldwide.