Rabat: A total of 54 referees, comprising 18 referees and 36 assistant referees from 36 member associations, will oversee matches at the upcoming 2025 U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, as announced by FIFA. This decision marks a significant milestone as the tournament will be the first of its kind hosted in Morocco over the next five years and will feature an expanded lineup of 24 participating teams.

According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, Pierluigi Collina, Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, emphasized the importance of providing match officials with international experience and young players with the opportunity to compete at a global level. He noted that the tournament will serve as a platform for both players and officials to enhance their skills and contribute positively to the sport.

Bibiana Steinhaus-Webb, FIFA’s Head of Women’s Refereeing, expressed enthusiasm about Morocco hosting the tournament, highlighting the country’s passion for women’s football. She also pointed out that the expande
d team lineup will offer more opportunities for match officials to demonstrate their understanding of the game.

The tournament will also feature the use of Football Video Support (FVS), a technology that was trialed at previous FIFA women’s tournaments. Unlike the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system, FVS does not involve dedicated video match officials and focuses on a limited number of review requests initiated by coaches during crucial match-changing incidents. This system aims to provide a cost-effective technological solution for supporting match officials.