The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has selected an Emirati refereeing team led by international referee Omar Ali Ali, along with assistant referees Mohamed Ahmed and Mohamed Obaid. This team will officiate matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The upcoming tournament is scheduled to be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, with 48 national teams participating. The selection of the Emirati refereeing team, led by Omar Ali Ali, follows the high level of officiating he has demonstrated in recent periods, which qualified him to be part of this global event for the first time in his career. Omar Ali Ali, who became the first Emirati referee to graduate from the Asian Football Confederation's 'Future Referees' project in 2014, began his refereeing career in 2010 and received his international badge in 2015. This marks the eighth time that Emirati refereeing has been present at the World Cup, after former referee Ali Bujsim participated in the 1994, 1998, and 2002 editions, former assistant referee Issa Darwish in the 2006 edition in Germany, assistant referee Saleh Al Marzooki in the 2010 edition in South Africa, and referee Mohamed Abdullah Hassan in the 2018 and 2022 editions in Russia and Qatar, respectively.
