On June 15, the Club World Cup will officially kick off in the USA. The attention of the football community during the opening match will be directed not only to the star players but also to the referee officiating the game.
According to the official announcement from the organizers, the first match between "Inter Miami" (USA) and "Al-Ahli" (Egypt) will be officiated by Aliriza Fag‘oniy, an experienced referee originally from Iran but currently a citizen of Australia.
A recognized figure on the world stage
Fag‘oniy is considered one of the most qualified and reliable referees in Asia. Throughout his career, he has participated in several high-level international competitions, including the World Cup twice, the Olympic Games, the Asian Cup, and FIFA official tournaments.
This appointment undoubtedly reflects FIFA's high confidence in him. Especially being the main referee in a match selected as the opening game is a significant responsibility that requires attention.
Uzbek referees at the World Cup
Interestingly, the Uzbekistan football refereeing school is also presenting its representatives at the Club World Cup. According to the FIFA list, Ilgiz Tantashev, Andrey Tsapenko, and Timur Gaynullin from our country will officiate at this prestigious tournament.
This shows that our country's football refereeing is also taking a worthy place in global competitions.
High interest before the game
The match between "Inter Miami," led by Lionel Messi, and one of Egypt's most famous teams, "Al-Ahli," is not only the opening game but also one of the first significant events of the tournament, exciting football fans. Especially the participation of an experienced and impartial referee in such a match guarantees fair play.
Thus, it is worth being proud that representatives from Asia and Central Asia are actively participating on the next major stage of world football.
