Anthony Taylor to Referee Uzbekistan vs Colombia at 2026 World Cup

Anthony Taylor, a prominent Premier League referee, has been assigned to officiate the Uzbekistan vs Colombia Group K match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scheduled at Mexico City Stadium. Taylor brings extensive experience to the fixture, having overseen 432 Premier League matches and 42 Champions League games throughout his career. This marks his second World Cup appearance, following two matches he refereed at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

Taylor's disciplinary record shows a balanced approach to match management. Across approximately 550 career matches, he has issued 1,997 yellow cards at an average of 3.63 per game—slightly above the standard referee rate—while maintaining a relatively low red card count of 87 at a rate of 0.16 per game. The match carries significance in Group K, where either Uzbekistan or Colombia could climb to the top of the standings with a victory, particularly following Portugal's unexpected draw against DR Congo in the group's opening fixtures.

The full officiating team for the encounter includes Gary Beswick and Adam Nunn as assistant referees on the touchlines. Costa Rican officials Juan Gabriel Calderón and Juan Carlos Mora serve as the fourth official and reserve assistant referee respectively. The VAR operation will be led by Croatian official Ivan Bebek, with Premier League referee Jared Gillett assisting in the video review room.