KINGSTON, Jamaica — The 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico this coming June and July, has finalized its panel of match officials, and Jamaican referee Oshane Nation has earned a coveted place on the roster, according to official announcements.
In a public statement published to FIFA’s official website this past Thursday, the global governing body of soccer revealed the full slate of 52 referees selected to oversee matches at the 48-team tournament. Among this select group, Nation stands out as one of only seven match officials drawn from the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf), the regional governing body that manages soccer across the North American and Caribbean region.
The full official lineup of World Cup officials extends far beyond the lead match referees. FIFA also named 88 assistant referees and 30 video assistant referees (VAR) to join the on-field team, bringing the total cohort of match officials to 170 ahead of the historic first three-nation co-hosted World Cup this summer.
This report by Paul A Reid