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AMMAN — Jordanian international referee Adham Makhadmeh has made history as the first Jordanian official to referee matches at the FIFA World Cup, marking a significant milestone Jordanian football.
An international referee since 2013, Makhadmeh has steadily built a reputation as one of Asia's most respected match officials.
His career has included several high-profile appointments, notably the first leg of the 2017 AFC Champions League final between Al Hilal and Urawa Red Diamonds, matches at the AFC Asian Cup, the 2025 Arab Cup, as well as numerous FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Makhadmeh was among eight referees selected from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
He made his tournament debut in Spain's goalless Group H draw against Cape Verde on June 15 before taking charge of the group-stage encounter between New Zealand and Belgium.
His assured performances earned him a knockout-stage appointment, officiating England's 2-1 Round of 32 victory over the Democratic Republic of the Congo on July 1.
FIFA later entrusted him with another major fixture, appointing him to referee the Round of 16 clash between the United States and Belgium.
Makhadmeh's displays have also received favourable assessments from refereeing analysts.
Following the England-DR Congo match, Spanish refereeing analysis platform Archivo VAR awarded him an 8 out of 10 rating, one of the highest given to referees during the Round of 32.
The platform described his performance as "very good", praising his authority, positioning, proximity to play and decision-making, including correctly rejecting two penalty appeals by England.
For the United States-Belgium Round of 16 match, Archivo VAR awarded Makhadmeh a rating of 6 out of 10, describing his performance as positive and noting that he encountered no major difficulties while maintaining control of the game.
Although the rating was lower than his previous World Cup performance, it placed him joint-highest among Round of 16 referees alongside England's Anthony Taylor.
He received higher marks than several prominent officials, including Michael Oliver, Ismail Elfath, Alireza Faghani and Ilgiz Tantashev.
Throughout the tournament, Makhadmeh has demonstrated a measured refereeing style, maintaining control of matches with relatively few disciplinary sanctions while allowing play to flow whenever possible.
Reactions on social media have been largely positive, with many fans praising his composure and consistency, although, as is common in major tournaments, supporters of some teams questioned individual decisions.
No significant controversies or widespread criticism have emerged regarding his performances.
Makhadmeh's World Cup campaign represents a landmark achievement for Jordanian football and further highlights the growing standing of AFC referees on the global stage.
