Uzbek Referee Placed Among Best FIFA World Cup Officials
A Swiss-based entity which tracks football history and statistics has included Ilgiz Tantashev in the list of ten best referees at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The nomination may not go down well with France fans.
At 42, Tantashev, hailing from the historic city of Bukhara in Uzbekistan, clinched the tenth spot on the World Cup Best Referee list unveiled by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS).
Tantashev officiated three matches: Scotland versus Morocco, Algeria against Austria, and the high-stakes Round of 16 battle between Paraguay and France. His handling of the July 5 encounter ignited outrage, as he overlooked Paraguay’s aggressive play while penalising the French.
French outlet L’Equipe has given Tantashev a 1/10 rating, while British media accused the Uzbek referee of allowing Paraguay to play by «prison rules.»
Who else is on the World Cup Best Referee list
The top ten referees were selected from 52 other international officials who serviced the 2026 World Cup matches across Canada, Mexico and the US. The IFFHS said it evaluated the referees against their performance in the knockout matches and their card discipline.
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