Uzbek Referees Led by Ilgiz Tantashev Officiate World Cup Match

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — A refereeing brigade from Uzbekistan officiated the 2026 World Cup second-round group stage match between the national teams of Scotland and Morocco.

Ilgiz Tantashev served as the head referee for the match, assisted on the lines by Timur Gainullin and Andrey Tsapenko. The match ended in a narrow 1-0 victory for the Moroccan team, with midfielder Ismael Saibari scoring the winning goal in the second minute of play.

The appointment of Uzbek referees to World Cup matches continues the proud traditions of the domestic football officiating school. Uzbekistan holds a special, historical place within the structure of the FIFA refereeing corps.

The absolute world record for the highest number of World Cup matches officiated by a head referee is still held by Uzbek referee Ravshan Irmatov. Over his career, he worked a total of 11 matches across three World Cups, in 2010, 2014, and 2018.

Irmatov’s World Cup refereeing journey began in 2010 in South Africa, where he immediately officiated five prestigious matches, including the official opening match of the tournament and a semifinal.

Four years later, at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the authoritative referee conducted four more matches, including a highly challenging quarterfinal. At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Ravshan Irmatov added two more games to his record, establishing a historic achievement that new generations of Uzbek referees now strive toward on the pitches of the 2026 World Cup.