The 30 best referees in world football - ranked
- Hating referees has almost become a sport in itself over the past decade
- Despite public opinion, there are some extremely talented officials in world football
- Europe leads the way when it comes to elite referees
Disparaging referees may be a passion project for a large section of the planet's football fans, but being the official with the whistle is a tough old gig.
Keeping a lid on 22 angry professional footballers and a 50,000 strong crowd of supporters baying for blood is as difficult as it sounds, with referees boasting a unique skill set that separates them from regular folk.
The world's elite command respect, keep calm in the face of overwhelming pressure and have a skin thicker than buffalo hide.
Here are the 25 best referees that world football currently has to offer.
30. Davide Massa
Davide Massa has been a Serie A referee since 2011 and FIFA listed since 2014, taking charge of a whole host of games in Italy and Europe over the years.
He has officiated in Qatar, Egypt and Greece since making a name for himself.
29. Srdan Jovanovic
Classed as a UEFA elite category referee, Srdan Jovanovic has been handed more significant matches in recent seasons.
The 38-year-old Serb has over 30 games in major European cup competitions under his belt and took charge of a number of matches during 2022 World Cup qualifying.
28. Glenn Nyberg
Despite being just 35, Glenn Nyberg has been a professional referee in Sweden's Allsvenskan since 2013. He has risen through the ranks in recent years and taken charge of a number of Champions League matches this season.
Nyberg will officiate at Euro 2024 and the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.
27. Rebecca Welch
Rebecca Welch previously combined refereeing with her work for the NHS but began officiating full-time in 2019.
She has broke new ground in the Premier League, becoming the first women to preside over a game in the division in December 2023. Welch has over featured in Women's Super League, Women's Champions League and Women's World Cup matches.
26. Halil Umut Meler
Halil Umut Meler is currently the leading referee in Turkey and has taken charge of over 20 matches across the Champions League and Europa League despite being just 37.
The Turkish official endured a traumatic evening earlier in the 2023/24 season when he was attacked and subsequently hospitalised by the Ankaragucu president during a Super Lig match. To step foot on the field again after such a harrowing incident deserves huge praise.
25. Jesus Valenzuela
The wonderfully named Jesus Valenzuela is from - you guessed it - Venezuela and has taken charge of some high-profile encounters in South America.
He was named CONMEBOL's leading referee in 2021 by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics and has officiated two Copa Sudamericana finals in recent seasons, as well as several matches at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
24. Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez
The 2022/23 Copa del Rey final referee, Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez has impressed both domestically and in Europe recently.
He has over 175 matches under his belt in La Liga and has racked up four Champions League appearances during the 2023/24 campaign so far.
23. Fernando Rapallini
One of South America's best referees, Fernando Rapallini has had the honour of officiating the Copa Argentina final on two separate occasions, including in 2022.
He has also taken charge of over 30 Copa Libertadores matches over the years and was chosen to referee at the 2022 World Cup.
22. Kateryna Monzul
Named the IFFHS World's Best Woman Referee in 2015, Ukrainian official Kateryna Monzul has taken charge of top-flight men's matches in her homeland since 2016 and has since become a recognisable face on the international scene.
Notable matches she took charge of include England's Women's Euro 2022 final triumph over Germany and San Marino's Nations League clash with Gibraltar, where Monzul led an all-female referee team for the first time ever in a men's international fixture.
21. Bamlak Tessema
A leading referee in Africa, Bamlak Tessema earned plenty of praise during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations semi-final between Senegal and Burkina Faso after he overturned two penalty calls following VAR interventions.
The Ethiopian is now widely regarded as one of the continent's best and has also taken charge of three CAF Champions League finals, including in 2022/23.
20. Wilton Sampaio
A well-respected name in Brazilian football, Wilton Sampaio was also a representative of South American officials at the 2022 World Cup, taking charge of the quarter-final between England and France.
He has no qualms with brandishing cards either, averaging five yellows per match and a red every seven games.
19. Cheryl Foster
Cheryl Foster made 63 international appearances as a forward for Wales and began training to become a referee when she called time on her playing career.
Foster has been an international ref since 2015 and took charge of the Women's Champions League final between Barcelona and Wolfsburg in 2023.
18. Anthony Taylor
Despite not being incredibly popular with Premier League fans - let's face it, no referees are - Anthony Taylor is regularly selected by the FA, UEFA and FIFA for pretty high-profile games.
He has taken charge of two FA Cup finals, the 2022/23 Europa League final and over 350 Premier League games, as well as recently being selected for the 2023/24 Champions League semi-final first leg between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain.
17. Cesar Arturo Ramos
Mexico's finest, the highlight of Cesar Arturo Ramos' career to date came at the 2022 World Cup when he took charge of the semi-final battle between France and Morocco.
He also has experience at the Olympic Games, as well as in the Copa Libertadores and CONCACAF Champions League.
16. Tori Penso
Tori Penso became the first women referee to officiate a Major League Soccer fixture in 20 years in 2020 and is now a regular in the division's pool of referee.
Penso took charge of the 2023 Women's World Cup final and is married to fellow MLS official Chris Penso. You don't want to step out of line in that household.
15. Jesus Gil Manzano
Jesus Gil Manzano has not always been a popular figure in La Liga, but he remains one of the most experienced referees that the country has to offer.
As a result, the Spaniard has respectable Champions League experience and took charge of the 2018 Copa del Rey final.
14. Felix Zwayer
A controversial inclusion in the top 25 given he was charged with match fixing back in 2005, Felix Zwayer has a clean record since, even if he, like many officials, has some high-profile gaffes to his name.
After returning from a hiatus several years ago, Zwayer took charge of the 2022/23 UEFA Nations League final and is once again a regular in big Bundesliga matches.
13. Slavko Vincic
Not too many elite referees had humble beginnings in the Slovenian second division, but Slavko Vincic has risen through the ranks to become a regular in the Champions League.
Vincic took charge of the 2021/22 Europa League final and has World Cup experience, as well as over 25 Champions League matches under his belt.
12. Michael Oliver
Widely regarded as the Premier League's best official, Michael Oliver is another official who often finds himself under the spotlight in England. However, he is regularly selected for the grandest events and will be part of the team of officials travelling to Euro 2024.
He has taken charge of two FA Cup finals, over 30 Champions League ties and the 2022 World Cup quarter-final in which Croatia dumped out Brazil.
11. Felix Brych
For the truly elite matches in Germany, Felix Zwayer is competing with his fellow countryman Brych. The 48-year-old is more trusted, however, having taken charge of the 2016/17 Champions League final between Juventus and Real Madrid.
He also has two DFB Pokal finals to his name, while he was in charge of Italy's clash with Spain en route to glory at Euro 2020.
10. Francois Letexier
One of the younger referees around Europe, Francois Letexier has already made a positive name for himself. The 35-year-old was entrusted with the Coupe de France final in 2021 and took charge of the 2023/24 UEFA Super Cup.
He was also a VAR for the 2020/21 Europa League final and is another official travelling to Euro 2024 and the Summer Olympics.
9. Stephanie Frappart
Stephanie Frappart has been a trailblazer for women referees in the men's game, becoming the first female to officiate a Champions League fixture when she presided over Juventus' clash with Dynamo Kyiv in 2020.
The 40-year-old also made history as the first women referee at a men's World Cup in 2022 and has been named IFFHS World's Best Woman Referee five years in a row.
8. Artur Soares Dias
Artur Soares Dias is one of Portugal's most established officials and is a regular at Champions League level - even if he is yet to be handed the truly elite European matches.
The 44-year-old will be part of the Euro 2024 officiating team having impressed in Portugal and on the continent.
7. Daniel Siebert
Daniel Siebert has shot up the ladder in Germany during recent campaigns and is still relatively inexperienced at the top level compared to some of his fellow officials.
However, the 39-year-old was in charge of several matches at the 2022 World Cup and was selected as the man with the whistle for the 2022/23 DFB Pokal final between RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt.
6. Wilmar Roldan
A man with incredible experience at the highest level in South America, Wilmar Roldan has been an official for over 20 years. The 44-year-old is largely confined to high-profile South American matches, but the Colombian has also taken charge of some huge international clashes.
He was the referee for the 2023 Copa Libertadores final, in which he handed out two red cards and an impressive eight yellow cards in a feisty affair.
5. Istvan Kovacs
Previously praised for his unproblematic approach to refereeing, Istvan Kovacs is now a mainstay in the Champions League and was recently on the money with his decisions during the 2023/24 Champions League quarter-final between Barcelona and PSG in which he sent off Ronald Araujo and awarded a penalty to the French side.
He took charge of the Europa Conference League final in 2021/22 and his younger brother is also an official in Romania.
4. Danny Makkelie
The stern Dutchman is another incredibly experienced official who has racked up over 600 matches across his career and you would hope he would be adept at coming to the right decision given he is also a police inspector in the Netherlands.
Danny Makkelie has over 45 Champions League matches to his name and rarely finds himself at the centre of the usual controversy regarding officials.
3. Daniele Orsato
Daniele Orsato takes no prisoners when it comes to officiating the big games and he's certainly not afraid to make the tough calls. The Italian does like to take a strict approach, dishing out plenty of cards, but he is usually fair in his distribution of decisions.
The 48-year-old was the referee for the 2019/20 Champions League final and also took charge of the 2022 World Cup semi-final between Argentina and Croatia.
2. Clement Turpin
As well as being Leandro Trossard's doppelganger, Clement Turpin is a top-class referee. The Frenchman is almost always involved in the latter stages of the Champions League, taking charge of the final in 2021/22.
He has officiated at two World Cups and two European Championships to date - with another to come at Euro 2024 - and also has two Coupe de France finals to his name.
1. Szymon Marciniak
The imposing Szymon Marciniak is regarded as the best in the business right now, with his record speaking volumes.
In the last few seasons he has taken charge of the 2022 World Cup final, the 2022/23 Champions League final and the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup final, highlighting just how much faith various associations have in the Polish referee.
Given his muscular frame, not many players are keen on messing with the 43-year-old.
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