The best football referees have had long-running careers in football. They understand all the nitty-gritties of the sport and ensure all players abide by the game’s rules and requirements.
Great judgment by a football referee is a byproduct of effort and experience. The general rule to apply is if there is no advantage gained, and if no player is disadvantaged, there should be no call. Read on to discover the best referee in the world in 2023 and more details about them.
10. Howard Webb
- Full name: Howard Melton Webb
- Date of birth: 14th July 1971
- Age: 51 years (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Rotherham, United Kingdom
Howard Webb is a former professional football referee who officiated primarily in the Premier League between 2003 and 2014. He was also a FIFA international referee from 2005 to 2014. He retired from the sport to become the technical director of Professional Game Match Officials Limited.
9. Pedro Proença
- Full name: Pedro Proença Oliveira Alves Garcia
- Date of birth: 3rd November 1970
- Age: 52 years (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Lisbon, Portugal
Pedro Proença has refereed various notable matches, including the Taça de Portugal finals, Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, Taça da Liga finals, UEFA Champions League, and UEFA European Championships. In 2006–07, he was named the Portuguese Referee of the Year and was promoted to UEFA’s Elite category at the start of the 2009–10 season.
8. Oscar Ruiz
- Full name: Óscar Julián Ruiz Acosta
- Date of birth: 1st November 1969
- Age: 53 years (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Villavicencio, Colombia
Oscar Ruiz is a former football referee who officiated in 2002, 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups. He is currently working as a referee instructor. He is also a trained lawyer.
7. Frank De Bleeckere
- Full name: Frank De Bleeckere
- Date of birth: 1st July 1966
- Age: 56 years (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Oudenaarde, Belgium
Frank De Bleeckere refereed in his first World Cup finals in Germany. However, he had to pass a late fitness test following an injury. He started his career in 1984 and is now retired.
6. Bjorn Kuipers
- Full name: Björn Kuipers
- Date of birth: 28th March 1973
- Age: 49 years (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Oldenzaal, Netherlands
Björn Kuipers was a FIFA listed referee from 2006 to 2021. He was also a UEFA Elite group referee from 2009 to 2021. He is now retired and enjoys long e-bike rides, Grolsch beer, and getting to work with Marco van Basten.
5. Cüneyt Çakır
- Full name: Cüneyt Çakır
- Date of birth: 23rd November 1976
- Age: 46 years (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: İstanbul, Türkiye
Cüneyt Çakır is best known for refereeing the 2015 UEFA Champions League Final between Barcelona and Juventus. He also appeared on the top FIFA referee rankings and was FIFA listed from 2006 until his retirement in 2010.
4. Nestor Pitana
- Full name: Néstor Fabián Pitana
- Date of birth: 17th June 1975
- Age: 47 years (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Corpus, Argentina
Nestor Pitana is one of the best football referees in the world. He is an Argentine former football referee and former actor. He refereed at the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2015 Copa América.
3. Martin Atkinson
- Full name: Martin Atkinson
- Date of birth: 31st March 1971
- Age: 51 years (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Drighlington, United Kingdom
Martin Atkinson is one of the most famous referees in football,. He is currently working as a referee coach after retiring from professional football refereeing. He mainly officiated matches in the Premier League. He became an official in the Football League as an assistant referee in 1995 and worked his way up.
2. Mark Geiger
- Full name: Mark William Geiger
- Date of birth: 25th August 1974
- Age: 48 years (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Beachwood, New Jersey, United States of America
Mark Geiger is a sports administrator and former football referee. He is the general manager of match officials at the Professional Referee Organisation. The firm oversees domestic referees in Major League Soccer.
1. Pierluigi Collina
- Full name: Pierluigi Collina
- Date of birth: 13th February 1960
- Age: 63 years (as of 2023)
- Place of birth: Bologna, Italy
Who is the best referee in the world in 2023? Pierluigi Collina was named The World’s Best Referee by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics consecutively from 1998-2003.