The referee who could decide Egypt's World Cup dream: Meet the elite crew for the New Zealand decider

21.06.26 FT World Cup

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Egypt

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FIFA has officially appointed Emirati referee Omar Al-Ali to oversee World Cup 2026 match between Egypt & New Zealand early Monday 22 Jun morning.

The tension will be palpable when the Pharaohs step onto the pitch at dawn on Monday 22 June.

Both nations enter this second-round fixture desperately searching for their first tournament victory. During the opening matchday, Egypt battled to a hard-fought 1-1 stalemate against European heavyweights Belgium.

Meanwhile New Zealand showed immense attacking resilience by securing a thrilling 2-2 draw with Iran. With both sides currently sitting on a single point in the group securing a win under Al-Ali's whistle is an absolute necessity to keep their knockout stage dreams alive.

A diverse and elite officiating crew

According to official announcements from the FIFA refereeing committee, Omar Al-Ali earned this prestigious assignment following years of consistently stellar performances across major continental and international tournaments.

Widely regarded as one of Asia's premier match officials, he will be joined on the touchline by his compatriot, Mohamed Al-Hammadi who will serve as the first assistant referee.

Qatari official Taleb Al-Marri will operate as the second assistant while South American representation comes from Peru's Kevin Ortega taking the fourth official duties, supported by his fellow countryman Michael Orué as the reserve assistant.

Khaled Hegazy |

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Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.

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