ENGLAND face Panama tonight in their final World Cup group stage match, and fans are eager to find out who is officiating the Three Lions’ pivotal match.
Abdulrahman Al-Jassim is the man in the middle at MetLife Stadium – he previously took charge of Portugal’s 1-1 draw with DR Congo at this year’s tournament.
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Abdulrahman Al-Jassim during the 2017 AFC Champions League semi-final Credit: Getty – Contributor
The Qatari official had a run-in with Cristiano Ronaldo in his first World Cup 2026 match Credit: AP
Who is Abdulrahman Al-Jassim?
Al-Jassim was born in Qatar in 1987.
He became a FIFA registered official in 2013 and was one of the referees for the 2017 Under-20 World Cup in South Korea.
The 35-year-old was later appointed as a video assistant referee for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Two years on, Al-Jassim was selected to referee the AFC Champions League final which saw South Korean side Ulsan Hyundai beat Iranian team Persepolis 2-1.
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He later switched continents, refereeing at the Gold Cup in the United States.
In 2019, Al-Jassim completed a trio of Qatari officials who took charge of the Club World Cup final which saw Liverpool snatch the win against Flamengo in extra time.
Abdulrahman Al Jassim took charge of Liverpool’s Club World Cup final win in 2019 Credit: Getty
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Middle eastern football editor Matt Monaghan mentioned that his inclusion was by no means a token ticket, stating:
“This is a real journey for him. This is not someone who gets this show because he was Qatari at the Qatar World Cup. He refereed the AFC Champions League Final.”
He was appointed the only Qatari official in his home World Cup in 2022.
Al-Jassim took charge of two matches at the tournament, the first being between USA and Wales in the group stage before officiating the third place playoff between Croatia and Morocco.
Since then, he was on the whistle for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, where he refereed Iran vs Palestine in Qatar.
He was also appointed the 2025 AFC Champions League final between Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli and Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale, which was won by Ivan Toney‘s Saudi Arabian side 2-0.
The Qatari official has now been chosen to officiate at World Cup 2026, where he took charge of his first match between Portugal and DR Congo.
World Cup 2026 – all the info
LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!
This year’s World Cup is like no other as a record-breaking 48 nations compete to lift football’s biggest prize.
England manager Thomas Tuchel is hoping to finally bring football home after a 60-year drought.
But footballing legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have other plans in what will likely be their final World Cup appearance.
JattvibeSport have got everything you need for the huge tournament
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