Despite His Acquittal, FIFA Excludes Dutch Referee Rob Dieperink from 2026 World Cup

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) decided to exclude Dutch referee Rob Dieperink from the list of referees for the 2026 World Cup, despite the recent closure of the case linked to him and no formal charges being brought against him.

According to reports, FIFA's decision came after the significant controversy surrounding the referee following suspicions of his involvement in a harassment case during his stay in the British capital, London, last April while participating in a European match.

Although the British authorities later closed the case and no charges were proven against the Dutch referee, the International Federation preferred to permanently exclude him from the list of referees nominated to officiate at the 2026 World Cup. This step aims, according to sources, to protect the image of the tournament and avoid any potential media controversy.

De Bruyne was considered a strong candidate to be present at the upcoming World Cup, thanks to his extensive experience on the European stage, before everything changed completely following the recent crisis.

The reports also indicated that FIFA and UEFA closely followed the case in recent weeks before making the final decision not to include the referee in any major international competitions in the upcoming period.