Two of the region’s finest, Jamaica’s Oshane Nation and Trinidad and Tobago’s Caleb Wales, have been selected to officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as part of FIFA’s “Team One,” highlighting a strong Caribbean presence at the tournament.

Nation, who brings experience from competitions such as the CONCACAF Gold Cup and the FIFA U-20 World Cup, will serve as the center referee. Appointed as an assistant referee, Wales demonstrates years of consistent performances at both regional and international levels, as reflected in these appointments.

Their inclusion forms part of a historic cohort of 170 match officials — the largest in World Cup history —drawn from 50 countries across all six confederations. FIFA said the selections were based on its “quality first” principle, with refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina describing the group as the very best in the game.

“The selected match officials are the very best in the world,” Collina said. “They were part of a wider pool of officials that was identified and monitored over the past three years. They have attended seminars and officiated at FIFA tournaments. In addition, their performances in domestic and international matches were regularly assessed.”

Collina also emphasized the unprecedented support system awaiting the officials. “The selected officials have received, and will continue to receive, comprehensive support from our fitness coaches and medical staff, including physiotherapists and a mental health specialist. Our goal is to ensure that they’re in optimal physical and mental condition when they arrive in Miami on 31 May.”

With 48 teams competing in 104 matches across North America, the 2026 World Cup will be the largest ever. The expanded format, in turn, will require a significant increase in the number of match officials and overall tournament personnel.

“This year’s FIFA World Cup will be the biggest in history. It’ll be the largest FIFA Team One ever, with 41 more match officials than at Qatar 2022,” Collina added.