Italian referee Maurizio Mariani is the favorite to officiate the 2026 World Cup Closing, though pundit Mark Clattenburg claims the choice ‘would upset lots of people.’
The Azzurri didn’t qualify for the match within the USA, and , however
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Talking on the Each day Mail’s Whistleblowers podcast, Premier League refereeing professional Clattenburg claimed that the largest job in world soccer will possible go to Mariani.
Mariani anticipated for 2026 World Cup Closing
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – JUNE 15: Referee Maurizio Mariani (C) walks out of the tunnel with match officers for heat ups earlier than the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group H match between and at Miami Stadium on June 15, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photograph by Alex Slitz/Getty Photos)
The 44-year-old already officiated the 2025-26 version of the , in addition to the 2025 Underneath-20 World Cup Closing that noticed beat .
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On this World Cup, Mariani was wielding the whistle for Saudi Arabia’s draw with Uruguay, ’s victory over DR Congo, and most notably beating within the Spherical of 32.
Nevertheless, Clattenburg insists it might be a controversial alternative as a result of Italians have already officiated three World Cup Finals since 1978.
Italians are extremely essential of their very own referees, but they’re nonetheless thought of the most effective within the enterprise, as seen by Pierluigi Collina’s position because the chair of FIFA’s referees committee, and Roberto Rosetti having the UEFA equal place.
“I’m listening to once more that it could possibly be an Italian referee,”
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“Infantino’s Italian, Collina’s Italian. A lot of the energy within the refereeing and wider soccer world is Italian.”
This isn’t true, as a result of FIFA President Gianni Infantino is from , though his mother and father did have Italian origins.
“FIFA must hold everyone blissful, all the six confederations, and should you take a look at it, in 2010 the referee was English, in 2014 Italian, in 2018 Argentinian and in 2022 Polish. If we go Italian once more, are we saying there’s no different referees however Italian?” added Clattenburg.
“If this yr an Italian referee will get the prospect once more, allowing for what’s occurred with FIFA at this match, it might be a giant shock to me.”
MILAN, ITALY – NOVEMBER 10: Referee Maurizio Mariani gestures throughout the Serie A match between and at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on November 10, 2024 in Milan, Italy. (Photograph by Marco Luzzani/Getty Photos)
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The opposite challenge in fact is that the referees within the closing phases can’t be from any of the international locations within the operating for the trophy, in order Italy didn’t qualify, it might make them the logical alternative for the Closing.
“It will upset lots of people if we had one other Italian referee,” added Clattenburg, who refereed the EURO 2016 Closing.
“I’m not saying an Italian doesn’t deserve it, however there’s an terrible lot of proficient referees that would referee that match.”