Sixty-eight match officials from 43 FIFA Member Associations (MAs) are on duty at FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Poland 2026™
FIFA Head of Women's Refereeing Bibiana Steinhaus-Webb says tournament is milestone on the way to FIFA Women's World Cup Brazil 2027™
VAR is being used for the first time at this age-group event
At the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Poland 2026™, 68 match officials from 43 Member Associations are working not just at this flagship youth event, but in preparation for the biggest stage of all: the FIFA Women's World Cup Brazil 2027™.
Overseeing the process is Bibiana Steinhaus-Webb, FIFA's Head of Women's Refereeing since October 2024. The German, the first woman to referee in the Bundesliga and a former FIFA Women's World Cup™ final referee, now leads the development of female match officials FIFA-wide.
Preparation for Poland 2026 began well before the opening whistle. “Before the tournament started, the referee team came together a week before, already, to prepare the tournament in depth,” she said. “We have 68 match officials here from 43 different countries... here we are under the umbrella of a worldwide tournament to make sure that we apply consistency and uniformity in our application in the laws of the game.”
That consistency is about more than the current tournament. “The FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup here in Poland is a tournament on its own, and it deserves all our attention in its own right,” she continued. “But, of course, it's also a very, very important milestone in preparation for the FIFA Women's World Cup 27 in Brazil, not only for the teams but also for the refereeing delegation. Here is one of the opportunities where all the match officials come together and showcase their skills to aim for a spot at the senior Women's World Cup, the pinnacle of our game.”
The step up, she stressed, is significant. “Here at youth tournaments, it is an educational piece as well... to give them the safe space to explore their skills. However, when we then go into a senior (FIFA) World Cup, like in Brazil next year, then the world stage is very, very different. Not only the venues are much bigger, the crowds are much bigger and the eyes of the world are on them... the stakes are higher, and here we just prepare for what comes next.”
That international exposure is itself part of the education. Away from a FIFA tournament, officials work almost exclusively within their own MAs, absorbing local football cultures. At Poland 2026 they are suddenly alongside colleagues from every confederation, meeting unfamiliar styles of play and player reactions for the first time, an experience Ms Steinhaus-Webb says they need before a senior World Cup.
This is where we need to unify our approach to make sure that whatever styles of football, whatever cultures we experience, we are in a position to manage those emotions accordingly
Technology also bridges Poland and Brazil. Video assistant referees (VAR) are being used at the U-20 Women's World Cup for the first time, ahead of 2027, when semi-automated offside technology, the ‘ref cam’ and a connected ball will all be introduced.
“We are also looking forward to the technology and innovations (in Brazil) like the referee camera that shoots from the referee's perspective during the games,” Ms Steinhaus-Webb added. “We will also see the connected ball, so that we can identify at every moment who touched the ball last.”
For the referees and their assistants, the chance to impress Ms Steinhaus-Webb and her team ahead of selection for Brazil is another opportunity. The German says that performance on the pitch is key, while confederation neutrality helps to guide the process.
“Quality is the overarching factor... we need the best match officials on the field of play at the best matches,” she concluded.
With Brazil 2027 now under a year away, several of these 68 officials can expect their names to feature again when Ms Steinhaus-Webb's team is selected for the sport's biggest stage.