Moroccan Referees Excluded from the 2026 World Cup Selection
The official list of referees selected to officiate at the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026, to be hosted in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, was recently released by FIFA. Notably absent from this list are Moroccan referees, as the selection includes neither on-field officials nor those appointed for the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) positions. The African contingent comprises five on-field referees: Algeria's Mustapha Ghorbal, Egypt's Amin Omar, Mauritania's Dahan Bideh, the Democratic Republic of Congo's Jean-Jacques Ndala, and Gabon's Pierre Achu.
In terms of VAR officials, only three referees made the cut: Algeria's Lahouel Ben Brahim, Egypt's Mahmoud Ashour, and Leticia Viana from Eswatini. This marks a disappointing turn of events for Moroccan officiating, particularly for international referee Jilal Jid, who was initially shortlisted among ten African referees considered for the tournament. Another Moroccan, Hamza Farik, was also listed among those nominated for VAR roles but ultimately did not make it to the final selection.
With this decision, hopes for Moroccan representation at the global football spectacle have been dashed. The absence of Moroccan referees raises pressing questions about the state of Moroccan officiating on the international stage and highlights the urgent need for reforms and enhancements in this sector. The implications of this exclusion are far-reaching, as it reflects broader issues within the Moroccan football landscape and underscores the necessity for improvement to ensure that Moroccan referees can compete effectively at major football events in the future.
As reported by thevoice.ma.
