Abdulrahman Al Jassim to referee England vs Panama in World Cup Group L decider

Abdulrahman Al Jassim of Qatar will referee England’s FIFA World Cup 2026 Group L fixture against Panama at MetLife Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 10pm British time. Thomas Tuchel’s side go into the match needing a victory to secure top spot in the group after a frustrating opening draw against Ghana left qualification uncertain.

Al Jassim will be assisted by fellow Qatari officials Taleb Salem Al Marri and Saoud Ahmed on the lines, while Swiss referee Sandro Schaerer serves as fourth official and Stephane De Almeida acts as reserve assistant referee.

The appointment is not Al Jassim’s first involvement in this tournament. He oversaw Portugal’s 1-1 draw with DR Congo earlier in the competition, and arrives at this fixture with a growing World Cup portfolio — in 2022 he refereed the United States’ group stage match against Wales and the third-place play-off between Croatia and Morocco.

Across his three World Cup matches to date, Al Jassim averages four bookings per game and has awarded one penalty. His record in the AFC Champions League Elite, where he has officiated 46 matches, suggests a more active use of the card — averaging 3.4 bookings per game, issuing nine red cards, and awarding a spot kick roughly once every two matches.

England will be looking for a sharper display than they produced against Ghana, where they were held to a draw that left Group L’s standings wide open. A win against Panama would move Tuchel’s men to the top of the group ahead of the final round of fixtures.