Fifa Club World Cup 2025: UAE referees Omar Al Ali, Mohammed Khadem to officiate in tournament
UAE referees Omar Al Ali and Mohammed Obaid Khadem will officiate in the Fifa Club World Cup 2025 in the United States from June 14 to July 13.
The Fifa Referees Committee announced the list of referees assigned to officiate matches in the tournament and Omar Al Ali will be the field referee, while Mohammed Obaid Khadem will be the video assistant referee.
They are part of a refereeing team consisting of 117 referees representing 41 national associations, including 35 main referees, 58 assistant referees, and 24 video assistant referees.
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The Referees Committee explained that the selection of the referees came after a comprehensive preparation programme, which included study sessions that brought together an elite group of Fifa referees from the six continents.
Pierluigi Collina, Chairman of the Fifa Referees Committee, stressed that 'participating in the inaugural edition of the tournament is a source of pride for the selected referees. Participating in the first edition of any tournament is a turning point in the career of any referee, and I am certain that all the referees feel excited and happy.'
Collina pointed out that expectations are higher than ever, in light of the outstanding performances of the referees in previous tournaments, stressing that the refereeing team, known as 'Team One,' will play a key role in the success of this historic edition of the tournament.
For his part, Massimo Busacca, Director of the Refereeing Department at FIFA, likened the preparation of the refereeing team to that of a football team, stressing the importance of teamwork and adherence to unified standards, while taking into account the differences in football mentalities between different cultures.
Body cameras for referees
As part of the legal updates, Fifa announced a new amendment aimed at reducing time-wasting by goalkeepers. The amended rule stipulates that a corner kick will be awarded to the opposing team if the goalkeeper retains possession of the ball for more than eight seconds, with a five-second countdown starting with a clear signal from the referee, instead of awarding an indirect free kick after six seconds as is currently the case.
The Club World Cup will also witness a new technology trial, including body cameras for referees, in a move aimed at providing exclusive footage from the referee's perspective, broadcast live on DAZN to the tournament's global audience. This is part of a pilot trial to evaluate the technology's effectiveness in future use, as well as its potential role in training referees and improving their refereeing skills.
Al Ain begin campaign against Juventus
Record UAE Pro League champions Al Ain will begin their campaign against Italian Serie A giants Juventus.
The schedule sees Al Ain, 14-time UAE league champions, pencilled in to take on 36-time Serie A winners Juventus in their Group G opener at the Audi Field in Washington at 6pm UAE time on Thursday, June 18.
The garden city club will then go up against Premier League champions Abu Dhabi-owned Manchester City at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, at 6am UAE time on Monday, June 22.
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