The World Cup 2026 Group K clash between Uzbekistan and Colombia will be overseen by English referee Anthony Taylor, a well-known figure on the European football circuit.

Taylor's impressive credentials

Taylor arrives at this fixture with considerable experience behind him — 432 Premier League matches and 42 UEFA Champions League games to his name. This is his second World Cup appearance, having officiated two matches at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

Across 550 career matches, Taylor has issued 1,997 yellow cards, equating to an average of 3.63 per game according to WhoScored. That figure sits marginally above the typical referee's average, though it would be unfair to label him a strict disciplinarian.

His red card record tells a similar story: just 87 shown throughout his career, at a rate of 0.16 per game — lower than most referees at this level.

Full officiating team

Taylor will be assisted on the touchlines by Gary Beswick and Adam Nunn. Costa Rican officials Juan Gabriel Calderón and Juan Carlos Mora take the roles of fourth official and reserve assistant referee, respectively.

Croatia's Ivan Bebek will head the VAR team for the match, with fellow Premier League referee Jared Gillett serving as his assistant inside the review room.

Group K picture

The match carries real weight in Group K. Either Uzbekistan or Colombia could climb to the top of the table with a victory. Portugal, who entered the round as favourites, were held to a draw by DR Congo — a result that blew the group wide open ahead of this fixture at Mexico City Stadium.