Timeline for Pierluigi Collina
Published FIFA's officiating enforcement review
2026 FIFA World Cup: Collina counts time-wasting sanctions, denies biasMentioned in: FIFA's hidden VAR graphic ignites row
2026 FIFA World CupMentioned in: FIFA scans 1,248 players for 3D offside
2026 FIFA World CupBackground
Pierluigi Collina published FIFA's officiating review of the 2026 World Cup on 30 June, itemising how new time-wasting rules were enforced across the 72 group-stage matches. He counted ten red cards in that period, six of them for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity, and answered complaints of bias on the record: unfounded allegations, he said, have no place in the sport.
Collina is FIFA's chief refereeing officer and took charge of the 2002 World Cup final, one of the most recognised officials the game has had.
His review covers the group stage only, published while the knockout rounds, including the officials who would take charge of the final itself, were still to come.
Who is Pierluigi Collina?
What did Pierluigi Collina say about bias claims against World Cup referees?
How many red cards did FIFA log in the 2026 World Cup group stage?
When did FIFA publish its 2026 World Cup officiating review?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 25 July 2026. Editorial standards.