South Korean Referees Miss Out on World Cup for Years, While Three Chinese Officials Are Selected
FIFA recently announced the referee list for the 2026 World Cup, with no South Korean referees making the cut, marking four consecutive World Cups without representation. The referee roster for this World Cup has been significantly expanded to include 52 main referees, 88 assistant referees, and 30 video assistant referees. FIFA stated that selection followed a "quality first" principle, comprehensively considering candidates' performances in recent international and domestic competitions.
South Korean media views the continued absence of South Korean referees from the World Cup as a "great disgrace."
It is reported that the last time a South Korean referee appeared on the World Cup stage was at the 2010 South Africa World Cup, with Jeong Hae-sang serving as an assistant referee. A main referee dates back to Kim Young-soo at the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup. Doubts about referees have been constant within South Korea, and continuous controversial calls are considered one of the reasons for the loss of international trust. In contrast, Chinese referee Ma Ning will serve as a main referee, with two others selected, for a total of three officials heading to North America.