Anthony Taylor, a prominent English referee, retired from elite refereeing on July 21, 2026, concluding a 20-year career that spanned 831 matches [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. His final officiating duty was the 2026 FIFA World Cup round-of-16 match between Spain and Portugal in the United States on July 6 [1, 2, 3, 5].
Before becoming a professional referee, Taylor worked as a prison officer [1, 5]. He started his refereeing career on the Football League list in the 2006-07 season and was promoted to Premier League referee in 2010 [1, 5]. Over 16 Premier League seasons, Taylor officiated 432 matches [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Taylor refereed all major English domestic finals, including the 2017 and 2020 FA Cup finals, the 2015 League Cup final, the 2015 Community Shield, and the 2018 Championship play-off final [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Internationally, he was on the FIFA referee list for 14 years, overseeing 163 international matches [1, 3, 5].
He officiated at multiple major tournaments, including the 2022 and 2026 FIFA World Cups, the 2020 and 2024 European Championships, and the 2022 and 2025 FIFA Club World Cups [2, 3, 4, 5]. His UEFA appointments included the 2020 Super Cup final, 2021 Nations League final, 2023 Europa League final, and the 2024 Champions League semi-final [1, 3, 5].
Taylor was shortlisted for the 2022 World Cup final but was ultimately not appointed due to political tensions between England and Argentina [1, 5]. Throughout his career, he faced intense pressure and scrutiny, which he cited as key reasons for retiring, saying, "Officiating at the elite level has been an immense privilege, but the pressure is intense and the scrutiny is constant. The time is now right to step aside and look forward to transitioning to the next chapter of my career" [1].
He received widespread praise for his calm management of the Euro 2020 match when Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch [1, 5]. In the 2023 Europa League final, Taylor was subjected to abuse by Roma fans and manager Jose Mourinho, leading to Mourinho's subsequent four-match ban after confronting Taylor in a car park [1, 5].
Taylor expressed gratitude for the support of his assistants Gary and Adam, colleagues, and family throughout his career [3]. Former referee Howard Webb described him as "a fantastic servant to the game over many years, both domestically and on the international stage," highlighting his trustworthiness to officiate major matches including the recent World Cup fixture between Portugal and Spain [1].
