Turkish referees absent from World Cup: Cüneyt Çakır to participate with another country

FIFA has announced the referees who will officiate at the 2026 World Cup. The announced list includes a total of 170 referees and match officials from 6 confederations and 50 different countries. This team, consisting of 52 referees, 88 assistant referees, and 30 video assistant referees (VAR), has earned the title of the largest refereeing staff in World Cup history. However, despite such a large squad, no referees from Turkey were invited.

The long-standing decline in the representation of Turkish referees in FIFA tournaments has reignited debates over whether the domestic refereeing system is sufficiently developed on the international stage. Many football authorities state that Turkish refereeing has fallen into the background in recent years and that this has had a negative impact on the country's football.

On the other hand, Cüneyt Çakır, who achieved international success during his active refereeing career, is participating in the World Cup this time in a different role. Çakır has been appointed by FIFA to the position of "Administrator / Instructor" as the President of the Central Refereeing Board of Georgia. The experienced figure is taking on the role of lead instructor at the FIFA Referee Seminar, where the world's best referees will meet, and is contributing to the training processes of the referees who will officiate at the World Cup.

News Source: 12punto