Nigeria have no representative among the match officials at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as the global football body released its official list of appointees for the tournament.
FIFA named 52 referees, 88 assistant referees, and 30 video match officials for the 48-team competition, which will be hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States from June 11 to July 19, 2026. The selected officials are drawn primarily from Europe, South America, and Asia. African slots went to referees from Algeria, Egypt, Gabon, Mauritania, and DR Congo.
Nigerian official Basheer Salisu, who recently handled the Africa Cup of Nations final in 2025, was among 30 Nigerian referees approved for international duty in 2026 but failed to progress to the World Cup panel. Only two English Premier League referees, Anthony Taylor and Michael Oliver, were selected from England.
Sources indicate that Nigerian referees were overlooked due to concerns about limited high-level international exposure, domestic officiating standards, and difficulties meeting FIFA’s stringent fitness, consistency, and integrity benchmarks. By contrast, selected African referees such as Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria) and Pierre Ghislain Atcho (Gabon) were chosen for their proven track records in continental competitions.