They train daily in the Miami heat, spend hours reviewing match footage, and are supported by physiotherapists, sports scientists, and psychologists. If that sounds like the routine of a top football squad, it is — except there is not a footballer among them.
This is Team One: FIFA's elite group of referees, assistant referees, and video match officials tasked with officiating every match at the FIFA World Cup 2026™ to the highest possible standard.
A morning built around precision
The day begins with breakfast at the team hotel, where nutrition standards match those expected by elite athletes. Every official arrives already dressed in their pink kits, the collective identity of the group visible from the very first gathering of the day.
The first formal order of business falls to Pierluigi Collina, FIFA Chief Refereeing Officer and Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, who convenes the appointment meeting — typically held three days before each game. Collina, who refereed the final of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™, is one of the most decorated officials in the history of the sport.
At a recent session, Romanian referee István Kovács received a standing ovation from his peers after being appointed to officiate Match 1000 of the FIFA World Cup™ — Tunisia against Japan in Monterrey, Mexico. Kovács, 41, was visibly emotional. The match will mark his first as a referee at a FIFA World Cup, having served as a fourth official at Qatar 2022. Hugs and back-slaps filled the room as colleagues celebrated the milestone with him.
On the training pitch
From the hotel, the buses roll out to Miami Dade College's Kendall Campus — a 30-minute journey assisted by a Miami-Dade Police Department escort. Temperatures reach 33°C with tropical humidity, but the sessions press on regardless.
Athletic preparation staff split the referees and assistant referees into groups: one focuses on fitness drills on a back field, while another works through match-situation simulations. A group of young local referees join the sessions, assisting and learning from the very best in their profession.
Physical trainer Silvio Aguinaga and his team monitor every official's condition through GPS data collected during training.
