CHICAGO (December 17, 2022) – As the 2022 FIFA World Cup draws to a close this weekend, the five USA Soccer referees appointed to the global stage have stepped up to the plate, having clocked up 35 hours officiating in 22 different games with during the tournament, and For the first time ever two USA Soccer referees will work the FIFA World Cup Final.
Referee Ismail Elfathassistant referees Kyle Atkins, Kathryn Nesbitt and Corey Parker as well as a Video Assistant Referee Armando Villarreal as part of the 36 referees, 69 assistant referees and 24 video game officials who worked matches in Qatar. For the Final on Sunday, Elfath he will serve as Fourth Officer and Atkins will serve as assistant Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for Argentina-France.
Break down other barriers, Nesbitt She was one of six female referees selected to officiate in the men’s World Cup for the first time. She proudly represented the United States in eight games, including the historic match between Costa Rica and Germany that featured an all-female crew for the first time in World Cup history. Nesbitt was the assistant video offside referee, working with France’s Stéphanie Frappart, Brazil’s Neuza Back and Mexico’s Karen Diaz.
“At US Soccer, we strive to grow the game in all its potential. As a longtime member of the refereeing community, I couldn’t be prouder to see Americans perform on soccer’s biggest stage,” said the US Soccer CEO and General Secretary. JT Batson. “Watching Esse Baharmast on the pitch at the 1998 World Cup made my time as a referee. I hope that people around the country will be similarly inspired by watching our officials during this World Cup and the great heights that our USA has seen. A Soccer Referees Program can achieve that.”
When Elfath on Sunday for the Final as the fourth official will be his fourth assignment of the tournament, having officiated Portugal vs Ghana in the opening round, and Cameroon vs Brazil and Japan vs Costa Rica in the Round of 16.
Villarreal He was also VAR Support in the third place match between Croatia and Morocco on Saturday, which ended in a 2-1 victory for Croatia.
Atkins He will be earning his seventh assignment as VAR assistant for the Final. Earlier in the tournament he was an assistant referee for the same three games in which Elfath was in the middle, and he was a VAR assistant for three games in the first round.
Parker he joined Atkins as the other assistant referee for the three matches with Elfath, and was assigned VAR Offside for a match. Villarreal the most games were assigned with a total of 12, all as VAR, assistant VAR or support VAR.
“I am so proud of the USA Soccer referees who are representing our country and confederation so well at the Men’s World Cup,” said USA Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone. “I am extremely proud that Kathryn Nesbitt has been selected as one of the first ever female referees for a men’s World Cup competition. And, it’s great to see two of our officials represent the United States during the World Cup Final on Sunday.”
FIFA selected 129 best match officials from the six confederations to referee at the World Cup based on their quality and performances at other FIFA competitions as well as other international and domestic competitions. The selected officials are five of the 31 US Soccer referees who are part of the FIFA 2022 Panel, the highest level of executive in the world. The selection gives the opportunity to the 31 refereeing officials at the highest levels of international soccer.
The US Soccer Referee Program works to support the approximately 140,000 members across the country who attend amateur games at both the youth and adult levels. Quality instruction provided by 55 State Referee Associations is essential to the success of USA Soccer. For more information on referee education, visit the US Soccer Learning Center.
If you are interested in registering as a first-time referee, go to US Soccer’s Learning Center for more information. You can also search for courses in the Learning Center under Courses/Available Courses/First Time Attendance. You can also register for a Grassroots Referee license with your State Referee Committee. Contact information for each SRC is linked here.
PHOTOS OF LABOR REGULATORS
Kyle Atkins
- 4 years as a FIFA referee
- 21 years of experience as a fully licensed US Soccer official
- Current License held: FIFA Assistant Referee & FIFA VMO
- 7 tasks in Qatar WC
Ismail Elfath
- 7 years as a FIFA referee
- 17 years of experience as a fully licensed US Soccer official
- Current License held: FIFA Referee & FIFA VMO
- 4 tasks in Qatar WC
Kathryn Nesbitt
- 7 years as a FIFA referee
- 18 years of experience as a fully licensed US Soccer official
- Current License held: FIFA Assistant Referee & PRO VMO
- 8 tasks in Qatar WC
Corey Parker
- 6 years as a FIFA referee
- 23 years of experience as a fully licensed US Soccer official
- Current License held: FIFA Assistant Referee & PRO VMO
- 4 tasks in Qatar WC
Armando Villarreal
- 8 years as a FIFA referee
- 17 years of experience as a fully licensed US Soccer official
- Current License Held: FIFA Video Game Official & PRO VMO
- 12 tasks in Qatar WC
USA Soccer Referee Assignments at the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Game 5: France vs Australia
Offside VR: Atkins
Game 6: Denmark vs Tunisia
AVAR: Villarreal
Game 11: Germany vs Japan
AVAR: Villarreal
Offside VR: Nesbitt
Game 15: Portugal vs Ghana
Referee: Elfath
Assistant Referee 1: Atkins
Assistant Referee 2: Parker
VAR: Villarreal
Game 21: Tunisia vs Australia
Offside VR: Parker
Match 22: Poland vs Saudi Arabia
AVAR: Villarreal
Match 26: Belgium vs Morocco
Offside VAR: Nesbitt
VAR support: Villarreal
Match 30: Republic of Korea vs Ghana
Offside VAR: Atkins
Game 31: Brazil vs Switzerland
AVAR: Villarreal
Offside VAR: Nesbitt
Match 39: Poland vs Argentina
Offside VAR: Nesbitt
Match 43: Japan vs Spain
AVAR: Villarreal
Offside VAR: Atkins
Match 44: Costa Rica vs Germany
Offside VAR: Nesbitt
Match 46: Republic of Korea vs Portugal
VAR support: Villarreal
Match 48: Cameroon vs Brazil – Round of 16
Referee: Elfath
Assistant Referee 1: Atkins
Assistant Referee 2: Parker
Match 51: England vs Senegal – Round of 16
Assistant Referee 2: Nesbitt
AVAR: Villarreal
Match 53: Japan vs Croatia – Round of 16
Referee: Elfath
Assistant Referee 1: Atkins
Assistant Referee 2: Parker
Match 58: Croatia vs Brazil – Quarter Final
Offside VAR: Nesbitt
Match 60: Morocco vs Portugal – Quarter Final
VAR support: Villarreal
Match 61: Argentina vs Croatia – Semi Finals
Offside VAR: Nesbitt
Match 62: France vs Morocco – Semi Finals
VAR support: Villarreal
Match 63: Croatia vs Morocco – Third Place Match
VAR support: Villarreal
Match 64: Argentina vs France – Final
Fourth Officer: Elfath
Offside VAR: Atkins
