AFCON final referee Jean-Jacques Ndala dropped from 2026 World Cup officiating list

Renowned Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala has been left out of FIFA’s final list of match officials for the 2026 World Cup, in a major development that has sparked debate across African football.

Ndala, widely regarded as one of the continent’s top referees, will not officiate at the tournament despite his extensive experience at both CAF and FIFA levels.

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The decision follows FIFA’s official release of referees selected for the expanded 48-team competition set to be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June to July 2026.

His omission comes just months after he took charge of the highly controversial final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Final, a match that descended into chaos and has since remained one of the most debated games in recent African football history.

During that final in Rabat, Ndala found himself at the centre of several controversies, including a disallowed Senegal goal and a late penalty awarded to Morocco after a VAR review.

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The decisions triggered protests from Senegal’s players and technical team, who briefly walked off the pitch, causing a prolonged stoppage and global scrutiny of the officiating.

The fallout from the match did not end on the pitch. In a dramatic twist weeks later, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) overturned the original result and awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory after ruling that Senegal had breached competition regulations by leaving the field of play.

While Ndala had built a strong reputation over the years, the controversy surrounding the final appears to have significantly impacted his chances of making FIFA’s World Cup shortlist.

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At 38, Ndala had previously been tipped as one of Africa’s leading referees, having been FIFA-listed since 2013 and officiating at major tournaments including the FIFA U-20 World Cup and CAF intercontinental fixtures.