Referees — 2006 World Cup Statistics
Argentina's Horacio Elizondo (see below, for the referee trio) was selected to officiate the opening match of the 2006 World Cup, between Germany and Costa Rica, as well as the Final Match, between Italy and France. This is the first World Cup in which the same referee officiates both the opening and the closing match, and the first time an Argentinian referee is given the honors of officiating a final match.
Twelve refereeing trios, among the entire body, listed below, have been chosen to officiate the last eight World Cup matches (from the Quarter-Finals to the Final Match). The chosen twelve can be identified at a glance, below–just look for the icon beside their surnames.
Twenty-three referees from twenty-one countries will officiate 64 matches, in the 2006 World Cup.
For the first time in a World Cup, matches will be officiated by referees and assistants from the same country or the same confederation.
Incidentally, this new policy accounts for two of the three referee replacements, on the preliminary list issued by FIFA. Details available on the Preliminary List page.
Some well-known referees are missing among those selected for 2006 World Cup, listed below. Please see the Preliminary List page for further reference, in addition to a special note on the renowned Italian referee Pierluigi Collina.
Referees & Assistants – 2006 (alphabetically)
| Off. |
Surname |
First Name |
Country |
Birth [d-m-yr] |
Matches |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Abd El Fatah |
Essam |
Egypt |
30-12-1965 |
1 |
7 |
0 |
|
Dante |
Dramane |
Mali |
09-12-1961 |
|
|
|
|
Ndoye |
Mamadou |
Senegal |
27-12-1961 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amarilla |
Carlos |
Paraguay |
26-10-1970 |
3 |
18 |
1 |
|
Andino |
Amelio |
Paraguay |
24-12-1962 |
|
|
|
|
Bernal |
Manuel |
Paraguay |
17-06-1963 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Archundia |
Benito |
Mexico |
21-03-1966 |
5 |
13 |
1 |
|
Ramirez |
José |
Mexico |
27-11-1962 |
|
|
|
|
Vergara |
Hector |
Canada |
15-12-1966 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Busacca |
Massimo |
Switzerland |
06-02-1969 |
3 |
11 |
1 |
|
Buragina |
Francesco |
Switzerland |
07-01-1966 |
|
|
|
|
Arnet |
Matthias |
Switzerland |
02-06-1968 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Codjia  |
Coffi |
Benin |
09-12-1967 |
2 |
10 |
0 |
|
Ntagungira |
Celestin |
Rwanda |
11-05-1966 |
|
|
|
|
Aderodjou |
Aboudou |
Benin |
13-02-1961 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
De Bleeckere |
Frank |
Belgium |
01-07-1966 |
4 |
19 |
0 |
|
Hermans |
Peter |
Belgium |
27-06-1966 |
|
|
|
|
Vromans |
Walter |
Belgium |
21-04-1968 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
De Santis |
Massimo |
Italy |
08-04-1962 |
– |
– |
– |
|
Griselli |
Alessandro |
Italy |
31-05-1974 |
 |
|
|
|
Ivaldi |
Marco |
Italy |
04-07-1961 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Elizondo |
Horacio |
Argentina |
04-11-1963 |
4 |
22 |
2 |
|
Garcia |
Dario |
Argentina |
29-10-1961 |
|
|
|
|
Otero |
Rodolfo |
Argentina |
14-12-1962 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ivanov |
Valentin |
Russia |
04-07-1961 |
3 |
26 |
4 |
|
Golubev |
Nikolay |
Russia |
09-11-1970 |
|
|
|
|
Volnin |
Evgueni |
Russia |
27-06-1962 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kamikawa |
Toru |
Japan |
08-06-1963 |
2 |
9 |
0 |
|
Hiroshima |
Yoshikazu |
Japan |
22-05-1962 |
|
|
|
|
Kim |
Dae Young |
Korea Republic |
15-08-1962 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Larrionda |
Jorge |
Uruguay |
09-03-1968 |
4 |
15 |
3 |
|
Rial |
Walter |
Uruguay |
09-01-1964 |
|
|
|
|
Fandino |
Pablo |
Uruguay |
11-10-1966 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Maidin |
Shamsul |
Singapore |
16-04-1966 |
3 |
20 |
2 |
|
Permpanich |
Prachya |
Thailand |
13-08-1962 |
|
|
|
|
Ghuloum |
Eisa |
UAE |
01-03-1966 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Medina Cantalejo |
Luis |
Spain |
01-03-1964 |
4 |
25 |
2 |
|
Giraldez Carrasco |
Victoriano |
Spain |
18-09-1964 |
|
|
|
|
Medina Hernandez |
Pedro |
Spain |
17-12-1962 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Merk |
Markus |
Germany |
15-03-1962 |
3 |
16 |
0 |
|
Schraer |
Christian |
Germany |
15-03-1962 |
|
|
|
|
Salver |
Jan-Hendrik |
Germany |
01-03-1969 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Michel |
Lubos |
Slovakia |
16-05-1968 |
4 |
32 |
3 |
|
Slysko |
Roman |
Slovakia |
04-08-1973 |
|
|
|
|
Balko |
Martin |
Slovakia |
08-03-1972 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poll |
Graham |
England |
29-07-1963 |
3 |
20 |
4 |
|
Sharp |
Philip |
England |
05-04-1964 |
|
|
|
|
Turner |
Glenn |
England |
06-11-1964 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poulat |
Eric |
France |
08-12-1963 |
2 |
9 |
0 |
|
Dagorne |
Lionel |
France |
09-07-1961 |
|
|
|
|
Texier |
Vincent |
France |
25-11-1962 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Prendergast |
Peter |
Jamaica |
23-09-1963 |
– |
– |
– |
|
Garwood |
Anthony |
Jamaica |
15-12-1972 |
|
|
|
|
Taylor |
Joseph |
Trinidad and Tobago |
06-10-1964 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rodriguez |
Marco |
Mexico |
10-11-1973 |
2 |
12 |
2 |
|
Camargo |
José Luis |
Mexico |
25-09-1972 |
|
|
|
|
Leal |
Leonel |
Costa Rica |
21-11-1976 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rosetti |
Roberto |
Italy |
18-09-1967 |
4 |
15 |
1 |
|
Copelli |
Cristiano |
Italy |
14-06-1967 |
|
|
|
|
Stagnoli |
Alessandro |
Italy |
02-02-1965 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ruiz |
Oscar |
Colombia |
01-11-1969 |
1 |
7 |
0 |
|
Tamayo |
Fernando |
|
Discipline 