Staggering salaries of World Cup referees revealed as neutrality cause explained
Footballers' massive wages are always a cause for utter disbelief, but how much are the referees earning at the World Cup?
The 2026 World Cup finally got underway on Thursday with co-hosts Mexico defeating South Africa 2-0 in the Azteca.
Yet, even the grand opening of the biggest tournament in sport couldn't go without referee incident, as Brazilian Wilton Sampaio sent off three players.
There were only four red cards brandished in the entirety of the last World Cup in Qatar, so this year's edition looks set to smash the record set in 2006 of 28 dismissals.
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No doubt there will be highly-debatable incidents and quite a few controversies to come, as England look to end 60 years of hurt and Scotland compete in their first World Cup since 1998.
But just how much are the men in the middle earning this summer? The numbers are quite staggering.
How much FIFA referees are earning in the 2026 World Cup?
The games couldn't happen without a team of officials ensuring all the rules are followed, and FIFA are paying their contingent of referees handsomely throughout the summer of football.
As reported by the Mirror, each referee in the USA, Mexico and Canada is set to take home up to $100,000 (around £75,000).
The report states that the figure is about double what referees were paid at Brazil's World Cup in 2014.
That's before bonuses are even taken into consideration, which refs could earn through strong performances and being selected for the knock-out stages.
It's claimed that the referee who is picked to take charge of the final on July 19 will earn 'considerably more' than the rest.
A set fee will be paid to each referee who is taking part this summer, which is going to cost FIFA a pretty penny given 51 have been called-up to cover the newly-expanded tournament of 104 matches.
Which Premier League referees are at the World Cup?
Two big-name Premier League officials will be running matches at the World Cup, and will no doubt run into a lot of familiar faces in the teams.
Anthony Taylor and Michael Oliver were the two selected from England, while fellow Premier League ref, Jarred Gillet, has been picked for VAR duties.
Oliver's first game will be Sunday's encounter between Côte d'Ivoire and Ecuador in Philadelphia, while Taylor's opening bout has not yet been assigned.
One referee who won't be at the World Cup, though, is Omar Abdulkadir Artan, as the Somalian was denied entry into the United States.
Instead, UEFA have appointed him as the official for Aston Villa vs PSG in the European Super Cup this August.
What is the 'neutrality cause'?
Though any referee could earn themselves the coveted spot of taking charge of the final in New Jersey, one strict FIFA rule could prevent them from doing so.
The neutrality clause ensures that FIFA will never assign an official, including those in the VAR room, a match which involves their own nation.
So if Thomas Tuchel's side shock a lot of doubters and get to England's first World Cup final since 1966, Taylor and Oliver will not be able to referee it.
Daniel Murphy