Mauritanian official Dahane Beida has been appointed to referee the Austria vs Jordan clash at the FIFA World Cup 2026, a fixture that marks historic firsts for both the official and one of the competing nations.

Jordan are making their debut at the World Cup finals, arriving on the global stage for the very first time. Austria, meanwhile, are returning for a seventh appearance at the tournament — their first since a run of six consecutive failed qualifying campaigns.

With emotions running high at the venue in Santa Clara, all eyes will be on whether the football does the talking.

Beida's World Cup debut

At just 34 years old, Beida is among the youngest referees at these Finals, and this assignment marks his own World Cup debut. However, the Mauritanian is far from inexperienced at the highest level of the game.

Beida has built a strong reputation in CAF competitions, having taken charge of some of the continent's biggest matches. His most high-profile assignment to date was the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Final between Nigeria and Ivory Coast — one of the most watched fixtures in African football.

He was also part of the officiating panel at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, further underscoring his credentials on the world stage. Prior to that, Beida refereed three matches at the 2024 Olympic Games in France, before overseeing three more fixtures at the most recent edition of AFCON.

Full officiating team

Beida will be assisted on the touchline by Jerson Santos of Angola and Elvis Noupue of Cameroon. Oshane Nation of Jamaica has been named as the fourth official, while VAR duties will be overseen by Egypt's Mahmoud Mohamed Ashour.