Egyptian referee Amin Omar takes charge of South Korea vs Czechia at World Cup 2026

Amin Omar will referee South Korea vs Czechia in Group A at Estadio Akron, Mexico, in the second match of World Cup 2026 — his first assignment at the tournament since being added to the FIFA list in 2017.

The 40-year-old Egyptian has spent 13 seasons officiating in the Egyptian Premier League and has been a fixture at every Africa Cup of Nations since 2019. Across 188 Egyptian top-flight regular-season matches, Omar averages between three and four yellow cards per game and issues a red card roughly once every five fixtures. He awards a penalty slightly less frequently than every other game in domestic club football.

In 12 Egyptian Premier League matches in 2025-26, Omar issued 53 yellow cards and sent off three players, all on second bookings. In two CAF Confederation Cup outings earlier in 2026, he averaged 4.5 yellow cards per game and sent off two players, while also awarding four penalties across all competitions and showing five straight red cards in total.

One notable moment came in the Confederation Cup semi-final in April, when Olympique Safi goalkeeper Hamza Hamiani was dismissed after a VAR review for missing a punch and making contact with an opponent. No penalty was awarded, however, as an earlier offside offence negated the infringement.

Omar’s appointment takes on added significance given the context of the opening Group A fixture: Mexico’s match against South Africa at Estadio Azteca produced three red cards, drawing immediate attention to the standard of officiating on the tournament’s opening night. Fellow Egyptian Mahmoud Ashour will serve as the video assistant referee for the South Korea vs Czechia match.