2026 World Cup: Jalal Jayed Among the Referees Selected by FIFA

FIFA has unveiled the official list of referees for the final stage of the 2026 World Cup, which features the Moroccan international referee Jalal Jayed among the on-field officials. It is a move that brings Moroccan presence back to officiating matches on the pitch at football's global showpiece.

The final list announced by FIFA includes three other Moroccan officials alongside Jalal Jayed: the duo Zakaria Brinsi and Mustapha Akarkad as assistant referees, while Hamza El Fariq was selected among the video assistant referees (VAR).

Jalal Jayed's appointment marks a strong comeback for Moroccan refereeing on the World Cup stage after a 24-year absence. The last time a Moroccan referee officiated World Cup matches dates back to the 2002 edition, when international referee Mohamed Guezzaz took charge of the match between Spain and Slovenia at the World Cup held in South Korea and Japan.

At the 2022 World Cup, Moroccan participation was limited to the presence of referee Redouane Jiyed within the video assistant referee (VAR) team, without any presence on the list of on-field referees.

This presence is expected to give a strong morale boost to Moroccan refereeing and to reflect the progress made by the national whistle, with a view to strengthening its presence in the world's biggest football events in the future.