World Cup 2026: 6 African Referees Selected, Ivorian Refereeing Ignored

FIFA announced the selection of 52 central referees, with only six from Africa and no Ivorian representative. The selected African referees are Omar Abdulkadir Artan, Dahane Beida, Mustapha Ghorbal, Amin Mohamed Omar, Abongile Tom, and Pierre Ghislain Atcho. The absence of an Ivorian referee, despite Clément Akpa's performances, has sparked reactions. In contrast, French refereeing is well represented with Clément Turpin and François Letexier among the selected.