Like it or not, it's a simple fact that there would be no football without referees to keep a lid on things.
Plenty go about their business without ever becoming much more than mildly divisive – but a fair few reach a whole different level entirely.
Here, we run through some of the most iconic referees in the history of the game. Just click any of the arrows in the right-hand side to kick off the countdown!
32. Paul Alcock
Former Premier League referee Paul Alcock makes this list for one reason and one reason only – and it wasn’t even a decision he made but what happened next.
Not taking kindly to being sent off for his part in a mass melee, Wednesday’s Paolo Di Canio pushed Alcock – who proceeded to tumble over in pure slapstick fashion. Di Canio ended up with an 11-match ban and a £10,000 fine.
31. Trevor Kettle
Referees in the bottom two tiers of the EFL are not full-time – but that doesn’t mean they can’t be the stars of the show when Saturday rolls around.
Trevor Kettle certainly seemed to enjoy the limelight, never shy of awarding a penalty (he once gave four in one game) or dishing out a red card – and often leaving players, managers and fans alike scratching their heads (or bashing them against a brick wall in sheer frustration).
Case in point: blowing the whistle for half-time as Accrington Stanley’s Billy Kee ‘scored’ in 2016. Oh, Trevor.
30. Darren Drysdale
Another lower-league ‘celebrity’ ref, Darren Drysdale made headlines when he squared up to Ipswich Town’s Alan Judge in February 2021, locking heads with the midfielder in a moment of madness.
An RAF sergeant by trade, Drysdale found out that his rank didn’t apply to the world of refereeing: he was charged with improper conduct by the FA and had to sit out the next round of fixtures.
29. Said Belqola
Morocco’s Said Belqola made history in 1998 by becoming the first African to referee a World Cup final, taking charge of France’s 3-0 victory over Brazil.
Prior to that career highlight, he had been in the middle for the 1998 Africa Cup of Nations final in which Egypt beat South Africa.
28. Pedro Proenca
In 2012, Pedro Proenca of Portugal became the first referee to be chosen for the Champions League and Euros finals in the same year, overseeing Chelsea’s dramatic win over Bayern Munich in the former and Spain’s 4-0 thrashing of Italy in the latter.
After hanging up his whistle, Proenca was named president of Liga Portugal, the body responsible for organising the top two tiers of Portuguese football.
27. Jarred Gillett
The first Premier League referee from outside the UK and Ireland, Australian Jarred Gillett left his homeland’s A-League – where he became one of the first VARs in top-tier football – for the EFL in 2019.
Gillett quickly became a regular in the Championship, where he impressed sufficiently to be promoted to Premier League level ahead of the 2021/22 season.
26. Clement Turpin
Trust a French referee to be a fashionista… Clement Turpin is instantly spottable for his rolled-up sleeves – which we can’t deny give him a certain cool.
Selected to officiate at multiple World Cups and Euros, Turpin was also in the middle for the 2022 Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid.
25. Rudi Glockner
Hailing from Saxony, then part of East Germany, Rudi Glockner became the first German from either side of the divide to referee a World Cup final when he took charge of Brazil’s 4-1 triumph over Italy in 1970.
Glockner also officiated at the 1964 Olympics and 1976 European Championship, among other tournaments.
24. Valentin Ivanov
Born to parents who won gold medals at the 1956 Olympics – his father in football, his mother in gymnastics – Valentin Ivanov was seemingly destined for greatness.
A 1983 Soviet Cup runner-up as a player for Torpedo Moscow, Ivanov’s international refereeing career saw him officiate at Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup – where he took charge of the ‘Battle of Nuremberg’ between Portugal and the Netherlands in the last 16, issuing 16 yellow cards and four reds.
23. William Ling
The first of three Englishmen to referee football’s biggest match, William Ling took charge of the 1954 World Cup final between West Germany and Hungary – dubbed the ‘Miracle of Bern’ for the Germans’ comeback from 2-0 down to win 3-2.
Three years earlier, Ling had been in the middle at Wembley for Newcastle’s 2-0 FA Cup final triumph over Blackpool.
22. Sandor Puhl
Up there with the world’s very best during the 90s, Hungarian Sandor Puhl whistled the 1994 World Cup final and 1997 Champions League final.
Named World’s Best Referee by the IFFHS (International Federation of Football History and Statistics) four years running, Puhl was on FIFA’s list of international refs for 12 years.
21. Nestor Pitana
Referee as France beat Croatia in the final of the 2018 World Cup, Argentina’s Nestor Pitana has to go down as one of the best South American officials of all time.
Having also taken charge of the opening game of that tournament, Pitana – who stood out for his immaculately combed hair – emulated compatriot Horacio Elizondo, who had done the same in 2006.
20. Ravshan Irmatov
Uzbekistan have never qualified for the World Cup, but an Uzbek has been involved in 11 games at the tournament: Ravshan Irmatov, regarded as one of the world’s best referees during the early part of the 20th century.
No other ref has even got into double figures for World Cup games, let alone overseen as many as Irmatov – who retired in 2019 and set about helping reform football in his country amid corruption scandals.
19. Bjorn Kuipers
Bjorn Kuipers didn’t need to be a referee; the Dutchman made millions from owning a chain of supermarkets (as well as a hair studio – of course).
A veteran of two World Cups and three Euros, the well-off whistle-blower also took charge of the 2014 Champions League final and two Europa League finals.
18. Szymon Marciniak
Arguably the best referee in the world during the early 2020s, Poland’s Szymon Marciniak was lucky enough to take charge of perhaps the greatest World Cup final of all time, the belting 2022 showpiece between Argentina France.
Also selected to oversee Manchester City’s 2023 Champions League final victory against Inter, Marciniak is an ex-amateur footballer who practises the martial art of Muay Thai and has featured in the Polish documentary series Sedziowie (Referees).
17. Dermot Gallagher
The first non-Englishman to referee in the Premier League, Dublin-born Dermot Gallagher spent 15 years calling the shots in the competition, from its inception up until 2007.
Despite his nationality, as he was affiliated to the English FA, Gallagher was allowed to officiate games involving the Republic of Ireland, taking charge of a 2002 friendly against Russia.
Since retiring, he has been a regular refereeing analyst for Sky Sports.
16. Jeff Winter
Another familiar face to anyone watched the Premier League during its first decade or so, Jeff Winter went out on a high by refereeing the 2004 FA Cup final between Manchester United and Millwall.
Quite a character, Winter used to organise the Prem refs’ Christmas do – and, along with Dermot Gallagher, later officiated in Masters Football, the indoor competition featuring veteran players.
15. Anders Frisk
Anders Frisk was forced into early retirement by death threats made against him and his family following Chelsea’s 2005 Champions League last-16 tie against Barcelona.
Until that abrupt career ending, the Swede with the striking blond highlights had been among the top refs in world football, officiating at two World Cups and two Euros.
14. Howard Webb
One of the Premier League’s top referees, Howard Webb entered the history books in 2010 by becoming the first person to take charge of the Champions League and World Cup finals in the same year.
During the latter game, Webb – who was later appointed technical director of PGMOL, the body responsible for refereeing in English professional football – (in)famously only showed the Netherlands’ Nigel De Jong a yellow card for a chest-high tackle on Spain’s Xabi Alonso.
13. Graham Poll
Iconic or infamous? You decide, but who could forget Graham Poll’s, er, card trick during the 2006 World Cup clash between Croatia and Australia?
The ex-Premier League ref – who officiated the 2000 FA Cup final and 2005 UEFA Cup final – managed to book Croatia’s Josip Simunic three times before actually sending him off. Unsurprisingly, he never took charge of another World Cup game.
12. Nicola Rizzoli
Italy produces great footballers, great managers and, it would appear, great referees. Case in point: Nicola Rizzoli, the man in the middle for Germany’s 2014 World Cup final triumph over Argentina.
An architect by trade, Rizzoli – who also oversaw the 2013 Champions League final between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich at Wembley – won seven straight Serie A Referee of the Year wards from 2011 to 2017.
11. Markus Merk
Renowned as one of the fittest referees in the game, German dentist Markus Merk was a man of many talents, running marathons and doing triathlons in his spare time.
Named German Referee of the Year on six occasions, he refereed the 2003 Champions League final between Juventus and Milan at Old Trafford.
10. Cuneyt Cakir
As a player, you knew who was in charge when you saw Cuneyt Cakir’s name on the teamsheet: the stern Turk blew his whistle and flashed his cards with the utmost authority.
Involved at both the 2014 and 2018 World Cups – taking charge of a semi-final at each tournament – Cakir began training young referees after retiring in 2022.
9. Mark Clattenburg
One of the few tattooed referees in the game (that we know of), Mark Clattenburg was one of the Premier League’s top officials during the 2000s and 2010s.
Despite being one of the best in the business, however, the man with the Olympic rings on his forearm (he took charge of the London 2012 men’s final between Brazil and Mexico) courted controversy for his sometimes excessively friendly refereeing style.
Clattenburg was notably the ref for the 2024 reboot of classic TV show Gladiators.
8. Urs Meier
Seeing as it’s the home of neutrality (or something like that), we’re surprised Switzerland hasn’t produced more top referees – but the well-to-do central European nation did produce Urs Meier.
In the middle at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups – overseeing Germany’s semi-final victory against South Korea at the latter – and for the 2002 Champions League final, Meier’s most notable game was England’s Euro 2004 quarter-final defeat to Portugal on penalties – where he controversially disallowed what looked like a late winner from Sol Campbell, sparking a furious (over)reaction including death threats.
7. Antonio Mateu Lahoz
Spain’s answer to Mike Dean (more on him later), Antonio Mateu Lahoz loved being the centre of attention when he was in the centre of the pitch.
In charge for the 2021 Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea, and the 2022 World Cup’s ‘Battle of Lusail’ – Argentina’s quarter-final victory over the Netherlands in which he issued a record 18 yellow cards (and a red, for good measure) – Mateu was once described as a star “who doesn’t actually play but doesn’t half perform”.
6. Tofiq Bahramov
Tofiq Bahramov did referee many games, but it’s what he did as an assistant for which he’s most fondly remembered (in England anyway).
Did that goal from Geoff Hurst in the 1966 World Cup final against West Germany actually cross the line? Well, ‘the Russian linesman’ – who was actually from Azerbaijan, then part of the Soviet Union – put his flag up, and that was that.
5. Ali Ben Nasser
Sorry, England fans, but this guy comes in even higher.
Ali Ben Nasser of Tunisia was the man with the whistle – which he didn’t blow – as Diego Maradona scored with the ‘Hand of God’ in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final.
Ben Nasser – who Maradona shamelessly called his “eternal friend” – admitted to FourFourTwo in 2022 that he had “doubts” about the legitimacy of the goal, but FIFA instructions dictated that he deferred to his better-positioned assistant.
4. Kim Milton Nielsen
We could apologise to England supporters for this one, but Kim Milton Nielsen really had no choice but to dismiss David Beckham for petulantly kicking out at Argentina’s Diego Simeone at the 1998 World Cup.
It was the most notable decision the towering Dane ever made – and he made plenty of big calls throughout a career which included the 2004 Champions League final and 2001 Intercontinental Cup final.
3. Mike Dean
Love him or hate him, there’s no escaping the impact that Mike Dean has made on the game – on and off the pitch alike.
Selected highlights: ‘celebrating’ the great advantage he played for Tottenham against Aston Villa; his trademark no-look booking; standing on a terrace railing and going absolutely mental while cheering on his beloved Tranmere Rovers in the play-offs. Truly one of a kind.
2. Jack Taylor
England’s greatest referee of all time – and of the best from anywhere in the world, for that matter – Jack Taylor famously awarded the first ever penalty in a World Cup final – just two minutes into the Netherlands’ 1974 defeat to West Germany – then went and gave another one 23 minutes later.
A highly respected official who had previously taken charge of the 1966 FA Cup final between Everton and Sheffield Wednesday, and the 1971 European Cup final between Ajax and Panathinaikos – both at Wembley – Taylor ran a butcher’s shop in Wolverhampton, before closing it to go and referee in Brazil.
1. Pierluigi Collina
The shiny-headed, steely-eyed Pierluigi Collina just had to top this list, didn’t he? No other ref has ever been iconic enough to appear on the cover of a video game (Pro Evolution Soccer 3 and 4 – the former all by himself, the latter flanked by Thierry Henry and compatriot Francesco Totti).
FIFA’s go-to guy for the biggest occasions around the turn of the 21st century, the authoritative Italian whistled the 2002 World Cup final, 1999 Champions League final and 1996 Olympic men’s final.
Hugely popular in Turkey – the Turkish national team never lost with him in charge, nor did any club from the country – Collina became Ukraine’s referees chief in 2010.
