FIFA Decides to Exclude Dutch Referee from 2026 World Cup

FIFA excluded Dutch referee Rob Dieperink from the list of officials for the upcoming World Cup, following his arrest in London last April on allegations of sexual assault on a minor, despite the case later being closed without any charges filed against him.

FIFA stated in a comment to The Athletic that Dieperink was officially removed from the tournament’s list of referees, where he was scheduled to serve as a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) official.

According to sources speaking to the same outlet, French referee Willy Delajod is a candidate to replace Dieperink on the final list of World Cup referees.

In comments to the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, Dieperink confirmed that the British Metropolitan Police closed the file after two weeks of investigation, noting that he fully cooperated with authorities and informed FIFA, UEFA, and the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB) of all case details.

The Dutch referee said, “I am deeply saddened that I was incorrectly accused,” expressing his regret over the decision to exclude him from the World Cup.

For its part, the Royal Netherlands Football Association announced its support for Dieperink, confirming that the British investigation was closed without any legal action, and that it sees no impediment to the referee continuing to officiate matches in the Dutch Eredivisie.

The KNVB added that Dieperink was excluded from the current weekend’s matches due to the extent of media coverage and its impact on the referee and the atmosphere of the matches.

Featured image via the Canary