England vs Panama has assumed a deeper importance than most would have anticipated.
Following the Three Lions‘ frustrating draw vs Ghana, Thomas Tuchel’s men did not receive the guaranteed qualification they craved, and the top of Group L’s table is still up for grabs.
England will look to deliver a stronger performance than last time out against Panama, but who is the referee?
Who is the referee for England vs Panama in Group L at the 2026 World Cup?
England vs Panama will kick off at 10pm British time, with the game being played at the MetLife Stadium.
As the Three Lions look to finish the Group L standings in first position, Qatari referee Abdulrahman Al Jassim will oversee the match.
He will be joined by fellow countrymen Taleb Salem Al Marri and Saoud Ahmed, who will serve as assistant referees.
Swiss officials will join the team, with Sandro Schaerer serving as the fourth official and Stephane De Almeida stepping in as the reserve assistant referee.
Al Jassim has prior experience on the World Cup stage, not just in past editions, but in 2026, too.
This tournament, the referee oversaw Portugal‘s disappointing opener against DR Congo, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
In 2022, Al Jassim refereed the USA‘s group stage clash against Wales, and Croatia vs Morocco in the tournament’s third-placed play-off.
On the World Cup stage, the Qatari referee averages four bookings per match, and has awarded one spot kick in three games.
Al Jassim possesses vast experience in the AFC Champions League elite, having refereed 46 different games.
In that tournament, the Qatari has awarded a spot kick nearly once every two games, shown red nine times, and averaged 3.4 bookings.