Malaysian hopes for representation at the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been dashed after referee Nazmi Nasaruddin was not included in the final list of match officials announced by FIFA on Thursday.
FIFA has named 52 referees, 88 assistant referees, and 30 VAR officials for the World Cup, which will take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. Nazmi, who had been considered a strong candidate after participating in the “2026 FIFA World Cup Candidate” course earlier this year, did not make the final cut.
This decision means the wait continues for Malaysia’s next World Cup representative. To date, former referee Subkhiddin Salleh remains the only Malaysian official to achieve this milestone, having served as a fourth official at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
FIFA’s chief refereeing officer, Pierluigi Collina, explained that the selected officials are the result of a rigorous three-year evaluation process. “They were part of a wider pool of officials that was identified and monitored over the past three years. They have attended seminars and officiated at FIFA tournaments,” said Collina. “In addition, their performances in domestic and international matches were regularly assessed.”
The 2026 tournament will be the largest in World Cup history, expanding to 48 teams and 104 matches—up from 32 teams and 64 matches at Qatar 2022. Notably, the list of referees includes six women, continuing the precedent set during the last World Cup.
Malaysia will now look ahead to future tournaments in hopes of seeing one of its officials appointed to the world’s biggest stage.
