The Professional Referee Organization (PRO) will have strong representation as the final places are determined at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
PRO refs in World Cup Final
Sunday's marquee final between Argentina and France (10 am ET | FOX, Telemundo) will be overseen by Polish referee Szymon Marciniak, though four PRO officials are in various roles for the international game’s biggest match.
- Ismail Elfath: 4th official
- Katy Nesbitt: 5th official
- Kyle Atkins: Offside VAR
- Corey Parker: Standby AVAR
Elfath is a two-time MLS Referee of the Year award winner (2020, ‘22). While in Qatar, Elfath has been the center ref for Croatia vs. Japan (Round of 16), Cameroon vs. Brazil (group stage) and Portugal vs. Ghana (group stage).
Nesbit (2020) and Parker (2015, ‘17) are both MLS Assistant Referee of the Year award winners, while Nesbitt is part of a pioneering list of female officials who are the first women to officiate in a men’s World Cup.
PRO refs in World Cup third-place game
Saturday’s third-place match between Croatia and Morocco (10 am ET | FOX, Telemundo) will be overseen by Qatari referee Abdulrahman Al Jassim. But his crew includes one PRO official.
- Armando Villarreal: Support VAR
Referees for World Cup knockout games are selected by FIFA, taking their performance and expertise into consideration.
