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Rabat – Moroccan referee Jalal Jayed has equaled the national record for the most FIFA World Cup matches handled by a Moroccan center referee.
Jayed reached three appearances at the 2026 tournament after FIFA appointed him to oversee Germany’s round-of-32 match against Paraguay at Boston Stadium.
The 39-year-old had previously taken charge of Germany’s 7-1 group-stage victory over Curaçao and Portugal’s 5-0 win against Uzbekistan.
His third assignment moved him level with the late Said Belqola, who officiated three matches at the 1998 World Cup in France.
Belqola’s tournament included two group-stage games before he made history by refereeing the final between France and Brazil.
He became the first African referee to take charge of a men’s World Cup final, an achievement that remains one of the most important moments in Moroccan and African refereeing.
Jayed continues morocco’s refereeing legacy
Jayed is only the third Moroccan center referee to officiate at a men’s World Cup.
He follows Belqola and Mohamed Guezzaz, who represented Morocco at the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan.
His opening assignment against Curaçao ended a 24-year absence for Moroccan center referees at the competition.
Jayed was supported during the tournament by Moroccan assistant referees Zakaria Brinsi and Mostafa Akarkad.
Moroccan video assistant referee Hamza El Fareq was also selected among the officials working at the expanded tournament.
The appointment for Germany’s knockout match against Paraguay showed FIFA’s confidence in Jayed after his performances during the group stage.
Knockout matches carry greater pressure because one major decision can directly affect which team continues in the competition.
Jayed therefore became one of the African referees trusted with a round-of-32 assignment at the 2026 World Cup.
Opportunity to set a new record
Jayed has now matched Belqola’s total, but he could still set a new Moroccan record if FIFA gives him another match later in the tournament.
A fourth appointment would make him the Moroccan center referee with the most World Cup matches.
Such an assignment would depend on his performance, fitness and FIFA’s assessment of the refereeing team during the competition.
The achievement already represents an important moment for Moroccan officiating.
Morocco has produced respected referees at continental level, but its presence in the center of the pitch at the World Cup had been absent since 2002.
Jayed’s three appointments have restored that presence on the sport’s biggest stage.
His work also places attention on the wider Moroccan refereeing team, with Brinsi, Akarkad and El Fareq receiving international responsibilities alongside him.
