KUALA LUMPUR – National referee Muhammad Nazmi Nasaruddin has been selected as one of the main refereeing candidates for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, scheduled for June 11 to July 19, 2026.
The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) stated that Muhammad Nazmi will depart for Qatar to attend the “FIFA World Cup Candidate 2026” course scheduled from February 25 to 29.
“Muhammad Nazmi will also continue to be tested through several FIFA and AFC courses, including matches organised by FIFA and AFC as part of the merit-based selection process for the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” the FAM said in a statement today.
The FAM informed that Nazmi, who has been involved in football refereeing since 2010, became the first Malaysian referee to officiate an AFC Champions League match featuring Buriram United v Zhejiang FC, which utilised video assistant referee (VAR) technology, last September 20 in Thailand.
He, along with his two assistants Mohamad Zairul Khalil Tan and Mohd Arif Shamil Abd Rasid, officiated six AFC Champions League matches using VAR, and were also invited to officiate several matches in the Saudi Arabian League in 2023.
Furthermore, Nazmi’s outstanding performance as the referee in the 2023 AFC U-20 Asian Cup final in Uzbekistan last March enabled him and his assistants to be selected for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar, recently.
He and his assistants officiated the group stage match between Iraq and Vietnam, as well as the round-of-16 match between Uzbekistan and Thailand in the Asian Cup.
Meanwhile, the FAM stated that the association will continue to provide support in terms of training planning and refereeing expertise to the trio.
“The mission to place Muhammad Nazmi as the main and first referee from Malaysia at the World Cup, the most prestigious global football tournament, will be achieved.
“FAM president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin is deeply committed to this effort, as no referee from this country has previously been selected as the main referee at the World Cup,” said the statement. – February 14, 2024