FIFA suspends a World Cup referee... what's the story?

An international football referee has been suspended from officiating any matches in FIFA competitions after being accused of sexual assault while in Britain to officiate a match. The investigation began following a report of an alleged incident at a hotel, with the alleged victim reportedly being a teenager, according to British media reports. London police confirmed the referee was released on bail while the investigation continues. FIFA announced it was aware of the serious allegations and decided not to assign the referee any matches in its competitions until the legal situation is clarified. FIFA also included the list of referees approved for the 2026 World Cup, to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, which included dozens of referees, assistant referees, and video assistant referees (VARs), but the name of the referee in question was not included in the official list or in the reports of the accusation. UEFA stated it is following the case with concern and will also not approve the referee for any of its competitions until the investigation is concluded, confirming that the situation is still under official review.