The Euro 2024 referees are an esteemed team of officials from around the world looking to prevent dirty tricks or dark arts from getting in the way this summer
The Euro 2024 referees have been announced, with some familiar names officiating this summer.
These refs from across the continent are in charge for the 51 fixtures at Euro 2024, with two assistant referees, a fourth official on the touchline and a reserve assistant to keep every squad under control. Outside the stadium, there will be a team of three video assistant referees in the VAR bunker during every game, too, while semi-automated offsides will be in operation for the first time ever.
According to UEFA's managing director, Roberto Rosetti, only officials who have “performed consistently to the highest standards in UEFA’s top competitions, and also in their domestic competitions” have made the grade, with 57 referees and assistants, 20 video match officials and 12 support match officials called up for the tournament. Below, FourFourTwo details every referee taking charge of matches this summer.
Euro 2024 referees
Referees
1. Artur Soares Dias (Portugal)
Referee Artur Soares Dias (Image credit: Getty Images)
Artur Soares Dias became Portugal's youngest FIFA referee ever when he made the grade in 2010 and the 44-year-old has plenty of experience in club and international European football. He refereed two games in Euro 2020, including England’s group-stage win over the Czech Republic at Wembley.
In 2017, he and his family were the subject of death threats before he was due to take charge of a Primeira Liga clash between Paco de Ferreira and Porto. The Euro 2024 final falls on his 45th birthday.
Paulo Soares and Pedro Ribeiro have been selected as Dias' assistants.
2. Jesus Gil Manzano (Spain)
Referee Jesus Gil Manzano (Image credit: Getty Images)
The 40-year-old official was in the spotlight earlier this season for his part in one of the most controversial decisions in La Liga this term. Manzano was the man in the middle for Real Madrid’s 2-2 draw at Valencia in March, when he blew for full-time seconds before Jude Bellingham headed the ball into the goal. Bellingham, believing he had scored a last-gasp winning goal, protested vehemently, with Manzano sending him off. He also had a 2018 run-in with Lionel Messi, who refused to shake his hand following a Barcelona match.
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Manzano has been FIFA-listed since 2014 and this will be his second senior international tournament after the 2021 Copa America.
Diego Barbero Sevilla and Angel Nevado Rodriguez have been selected as Manzano's assistant referees.
3. Marco Guida (Italy)
Referee Marco Guida (Image credit: Getty Images)
FIFA-listed since 2014, the 42-year-old Italian will be officiating at a senior international tournament for the first time this summer.
He arrives in Germany with a wealth of Serie A and European experience, but got on Manchester United fans’ radar when he left the Old Trafford fans bemused by blowing for half-time after 44 minutes and 41 seconds of the Red Devils Champions League clash against FC Copenhagen earlier this season.
Filippo Meli and Giorgio Peretti have been selected as Guida's assistants.
The 39-year-old Romanian official has been on UEFA’s elite list since 2019 and took charge of the 2022 Europa Conference League final between Roma and Feyenoord. He oversaw a Netherlands win over North Macedonia at Euro 2020 and went to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he was a fourth official in eight matches.
He drew the ire of Barcelona boss Xavi in April for his performance in their dramatic Champions League quarter-final collapse against Paris Saint-Germain, with Ronald Araujo’s controversial red card being followed by Xavi himself getting his marching orders from the touchline.
Vasile Florin Marinescu and Mihai Ovidiu Artene have been selected as Kovacs' assistants.
5. Ivan Kruzliak (Slovakia)
Referee Ivan Kruzliak (Image credit: Getty Images)
Another referee at the centre of a much-debated decision this season, Kruzliak oversaw Aston Villa’s Europa League win over Lille, in which Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was not ordered from the pitch after picking up a second yellow card in the penalty shootout.
The Slovakian was correct in his interpretation of the rules as cards do not carry forward into a shootout and the 40-year-old heads to Germany for his first senior international tournament.
Branislav Hancko and Jan Pozor have been selected as Kruzliak's assistants.
One of the youngest referees at the tournament, the 35-year-old will make his senior tournament debut at Euro 2024 and has also been called up to the Paris Olympics later this summer. Took charge of the UEFA Super Cup between Manchester City and Sevilla earlier this season and combines his refereeing with part-time work as a court bailiff.
In October 2022 he received death threats following a fiery clash between Nice and Nantes.
Cyril Mugnier and Mehdi Rahmouni have been selected as Letexier's assistants.
7. Danny Makkelie (Netherlands)
Referee Danny Makkelie (Image credit: Getty Images)
8. A part-time police inspector, Makkiele is an experienced official who took charge of England’s semi-final win over Denmark at Euro 2020, awarding the Three Lions an extra-time penalty. He also oversaw two games at the 2022 World Cup and was the VAR for the 2018 World Cup final.
The 41-year-old was branded as ‘arrogant’ by Emre Can last season, after Borussia Dortmund’s Champions League last-16 exit to Chelsea following a retaken penalty incident.
Hessel Steegstra and Jan de Vries have been selected as Makkelie's assistants.
One of Europe’s most experienced referees, Marciniak’s first tournament experience came at Euro 2016, with the Pole being handed a series of big games since, including the 2022 World Cup final and last season’s Champions League final.
Considered to be one of the best referees of his generation, the 43-year-old will no doubt be hoping to add the European Championship final to his collection of big matches.
Tomasz Listkiewicz and Adam Kupsik have been selected as Marciniak's assistants.
9. Halil Umut Meler (Turkey)
Referee Halil Umut Meler (Image credit: Getty Images)
The 37-year-old Turk was the subject of international headlines when he was punched in the face by Ankaragucu’s president, Faruk Koca, following a Super Lig match in December. Meler was then kicked after falling to the ground and hospitalised for a week.
Undeterred, he returned a month later and will now head to a major international tournament for the first time, two years after being added to UEFA’s elite list.
Mustafa Emre Eyisoy and Kerem Ersoy have been selected as Meler's assistants.
10. Glenn Nyberg (Sweden)
Referee Glenn Nyberg (Image credit: Getty Images)
The 35-year-old Swede is another referee making his major tournament bow this summer. Nyberg was the subject of a minor storm earlier this year, when he declined to give Bayern Munich a penalty in their Champions League clash against Bayern Munich after Gabriel handled the ball, seemingly unaware that the ball was in play after a David Raya goal-kick.
Whereas the Bayern team fumed, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta praised the referee for using ‘common sense’.
Mahbod Beigi and Andreas Soderkvist have been selected as Nyberg's assistants.
11. Michael Oliver (England)
Referee Michael Oliver (Image credit: Getty Images)
One of two English referees heading to Germany this summer, Oliver is a familiar face to Premier League fans who have seen him in action since 2010, when he became the youngest referee in the competition’s history. He refereed at Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup after joining UEFA’s elite group of officials in 2018.
Stuart Burt and Dan Cook have been selected as Oliver's assistants.
One of the most experienced referees appointed for the tournament in Germany, the 48-year-old Orsato oversaw the 2020 Champions League final and was the man in charge of the 2022 World Cup opener between Qatar and Ecuador.
He also helmed that tournament’s semi-final between Argentina and Croatia, with Luka Modric dubbing his performance ‘a disaster’.
Ciro Carbone and Alessandro Giallatini have been selected as Orsato's assistants.
The youngest refereee on UEFA’s list for Euro 2024, Scharer has been a regular referee in the Champions League in recent seasons and recently drew the praise of former Swiss ref Urs Meier, who said that the 35-year-old is ready to ‘deliver his masterpiece’ this summer.
Stephane de Almeida and Bekim Zogaj have been selected as Scharer's assistants.
14. Daniel Siebert (Germany)
Referee Daniel Siebert (Image credit: Getty Images)
The 39-year-old German has been an international referee since 2015, overseeing three matches during Euro 2020 and then two in the 2022 World Cup’s group stage.
A part-time teacher, Siebert’s notable performances include a 2019 German Supercup final between bitter rivals Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, plus a fiery April 2022 Champions League tie between Atletico Madrid and Manchester City.
Jan Seidel and Rafael Foltyn have been selected as Siebert's assistants.
15. Anthony Taylor (England)
Referee Anthony Taylor (Image credit: PA Images)
One of England’s most experienced officials, Wythenshawe-born Taylor has been a Premier League referee since 2010. Taylor was praised for his handling of the Euro 2020 group stage match between Finland and Denmark in which Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch, with his calm and quick reaction to the incident highlighted. Taylor also oversaw two games at the 2022 World Cup.
Gary Beswick and Adam Nunn have been selected as Taylor's assistants.
As part of UEFA's program with CONMEBOL in South America to share officials, Facundo Tello joins the Euros as the only non-European referee at the Championship. The 41-year-old is a renowned name in Argentine football, however having begun officiating in 2011.
Let's hope Tello doesn't bring some of the same Argentine fire to the Euros that he witnessed when he dished out a whopping 10 red cards in one fixture between Racing and Boca Juniors in 2022. Racing midfielder Carlos Alcaraz struck a dramatic winner in the Champions Trophy final and incited a brawl on the pitch, leaving Tello to dismiss Alcaraz, five Boca stars involved in the melee and their manager Hugo Ibarra… after having already sent off three before the chaos ensued.
Gabriel Chade and Ezequiel Brailovsky have been selected as Tello's assistants.
17. Clement Turpin (France)
Referee Clement Turpin (Image credit: Getty)
A member of UEFA’s elite group since 2012, Leandro Trossard lookalike Turpin brings plenty of experience to Germany. At club level, he has refereed the 2021 Europa League final between Villarreal and Manchester United, plus the 2022 Champions League final when Liverpool took on Real Madrid.
This will be his fifth major international tournament, with the 41-year-old having gone to the past two Euros and World Cups.
Nicolas Danos and Benjamin Pages have been selected as Turpin's assistants.
The 44-year-old Slovenian has been an international listed ref since 2011 and his first taste of a major tournament came in 2012 when he went to the European Championship as an assistant.
He oversaw the Europa League final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers in 2022 and heads to Germany hoping to referee in his third senior tournament.
Tomaz Klancnik and Andraz Kovacic have been selected as Vincic's assistants.
19. Felix Zwayer (Germany)
Referee Felix Zwayer (Image credit: Getty Images)
A 42-year-old real estate broker, Zwayer is preparing for his first taste of a senior tournament. No stranger to controversy, Zwayer was criticised by Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland following a Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich clash in 2021, with the former referencing a 2005 match-fixing scandal that Zwayer received a six-month refereeing ban for over his part in it. Zwayer oversaw the 2023 UEFA Nations League Final between Croatia and Spain.
Stefan Lupp and Marco Achmuller have been selected as Zwayer's assistants.
Video Assistant Referees
1. Stuart Attwell (England)
Referee Stuart Attwell (Image credit: Getty Images)
A familiar face to those in the Premier League, Attwell made his debut in 2008 as the youngest person ever to referee in the Premier League. The Nuneaton-born was demoted from the Select Group in February 2012, returning to refereeing in the Football League in March 2016. He's been in the Prem since
Brisard began officiating in Ligue 2 before being promoted to the French top division in 2017. He was added to the FIFA referees list in 2018 and was a VAR for Euro 2020.
3. David Coote (England)
Referee David Coote (Image credit: Getty Images)
Coote is another face that many Premier League fans will recognise as the referee of the 2023 League Cup final and a regular in the English top flight. Coote began reffing at 16 and has been FIFA-listed since 2020.
Dankert is a sports scientist and in his day job, works as a general manager and marketing director. He has been a Bundesliga referee since 2012 and been FIFA-listed since 2014.
Starting his officiating career at the age of 13, Delajod has been a Ligue 1 referee for the past five years. He was listed as the assistant VAR for the 2022 Champions League final and became a FIFA-listed video official in 2021.
6. Rob Dieperink (Netherlands)
Referee Rob Dieperink (Image credit: Getty Images)
Dieperink is an Eredivisie referee who has been officiating since 2012. Euro 2024 will be his first tournament as a selected video referee.
7. Christian Dingert (Germany)
Referee Christian Dingert (Image credit: Getty Images)
Dingert is a registered Bundesliga referee and one of the more experienced VAR officials at the European Championship. The 43-year-old has been FIFA-listed for 11 years and one of three German VAR officials – one more than any other nation – at the tournament.
Frankowski is one of one of Poland's highest-regarded officials. 2024 marks a decade as a FIFA-listed official, after working on UEFA's youth tournaments and going to the 2019 under-17 World Cup in Brazil.
9. Marco Fritz (Germany)
Referee Marco Fritz
Fritz is a banker from west Germany, who has been refereeing since 1997. Now 46, he was added to the FIFA referees list in 2012 and is set to retire as an official after the Euros ends.
So good they named him twice, Hernandez Hernandez was voted the best referee in Spain by the Spanish FA's technical committee in 2017. He has been working in La Liga since 2014 and in 2014 became FIFA-listed. In 2021, he was embroiled in controversy during a Madrid derby when he refused to consult with VAR when Felipe appeared to commit a handball.
Irrati was the VAR official for the World Cup final in 2018 between France and Croatia and has been a familiar face for Champions League fans as an on-field ref. He has been a Serie A official since 2012 but is no longer listed as a FIFA referee.
Kajtazovic is one of only a handful of Slovenian officials at Euro 2024. He was most recently selected as the video assistant referee of the 2024 Champions League final at Wembley.
13. Tomasz Kwiatkowski (Poland)
Referee Tomasz Kwiatkowski (Image credit: Getty Images)
Kwiatkowski is one of several Polish officials at the tournament. He is best known by England fans as the man who suggested Szymon Marciniak should review a controversial handball by Tino Livramento against PSG in the Champions League this season.
14. Juan Martinez Munuera (Spain)
Referee Juan Martinez Munuera (Image credit: Getty Images)
Benidorm-born Martinez Munuera began officiating in the depths of the Spanish pyramid in 2006 before working his way up to La Liga in 2013. He has been FIFA-listed since 2015 and was selected for Euro 2020.
Martins has been a referee in Portugal's Primeira Liga since 2014 and was given FIFA-listed status in 2015. The 44-year-old went to the 2018 Wold Cup as a VAR official.
16. Catalin Popa (Romania)
Referee Catalin Popa (Image credit: Getty Images)
Popa is one of just four Romanian officials at Euro 2024. He was selected as the assistant video assitant referee for the most recent Europa League final between Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen.
17. Fedayi San (Switzerland)
Referee Fedayi San (Image credit: Getty Images)
San is a Swiss official who went viral this year after telling a player he had a whole pitch to pass to, when the unfortunate passer had actually him the ref with his wayward ball. He served as an assistant VAR official in the Super Cup last year between Manchester City and Sevilla.
18. Alper Ulusoy (Turkey)
Referee Alper Ulusoy (Image credit: Getty Images)
Ulusoy is one of four Turkish officials at Euro 2024. He has never refereed or been selected as an official in a major UEFA final.
19. Paolo Valeri (Italy)
Referee Paolo Valeri (Image credit: Getty Images)
Valeri is one of the most experienced officials at the Euros, having began working in Serie A in 2007. The 46-year-old has been FIFA-listed since 2011.
20. Pol van Boekel (Netherlands)
Referee Pol van Boekel (Image credit: Getty Images)
Van Boekel is now 48 and one of the oldest referees at the Euros. He became a FIFA referee in 2008 and was the video assistant referee who controversially upheld Danny Makkelie's decision to award a penalty for a foul on Raheem Sterling against Denmark in the Euro 2020 semi-final.
Balakin and his frequent assistant, Oleksandr Berkut, are the first Ukrainian officials to work at a European Championship in 12 years. In 2012, UEFA included Viktor Shvetsov and Oleksandr Voytyuk.
Balakin has limited experience in top European competitions, having refereed once in the Champions League and twice in the Europa League, while Berkut is a linesman who has worked alongside Balakin.
2. Espen Eskas (Norway)
Referee Espen Eskas (Image credit: Getty Images)
Eskas has been a referee in the top flight of Norwegian men’s football since 2015. He has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2017 but has only refereed three Champions League games and is yet to produce a red card. Jan Erik Engan is a linesman who works alongside him, who has also been brought to the Euros with Eskas.
3. Serdar Gozubuyuk (Netherlands)
Referee Serdar Gozubuyuk (Image credit: Getty Images)
Gozubuyuk is a Haarlem-born 38-year-old referee who has been FIFA listed since 2012 and has worked in the Eredivisie since 2010. He has been selected alongside Johan Balder, a linesman from the Eredivisie.
4. Rade Obrenovic (Slovenia)
Referee Rade Obrenovic (Image credit: Getty Images)
Obrenovic made his debut in the Champions League as a 33-year-old referee and has been FIFA-listed since 2017. Jure Praprotnik served as his assistant for his UCL debut between Royal Antwerp and Shakhtar Donetsk and will accompany him once more at the Euros.
5. Irfan Peljto (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Referee Irfan Peljto (Image credit: Getty Images)
Peljto is the only Bosnian to have officiated a Champions League group stage or knockout phase match. He has been FIFA-listed since 2015 and referees in the Bosnian league, alongside linesman Senad Ibrisimbegovic, who has been selected for the Euros with him.
Rumsas is the only Lithuanian referee at the competition, having served as a fourth official in 2022's Super Cup. His assistant, Aleksandr Radius, has been selected alongside him.
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For more than a decade Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor, with stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others. He is the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team.
