Anthony Taylor, a veteran Premier League referee, will end his 16-year career officiating in England's top flight after the World Cup.
The 47-year-old referee officiated a total of 831 matches in England, Europe, and internationally, the last of which was the World Cup Round of 16 match between Portugal and eventual champions Spain.
Domestically, Taylor has officiated all the major domestic cup finals in English football, including the FA Cup finals in 2017 and 2020, the League Cup final in 2025, and 432 Premier League matches.
He also spent 14 years on FIFA's international referee list and was selected to officiate at the 2022 and 2026 World Cups.
Taylor stated that her decision to retire was related to the "enormous pressure and constant scrutiny" she experienced in the job.
In 2023, Roma fans publicly targeted him at Budapest airport after he was criticized by then-Roma manager José Mourinho. Last year, Taylor revealed that his family had stopped attending matches officiated by him due to the "perfect expectations" placed on him as a referee.
Taylor said in a statement through the refereeing body Pro Ref: “Officiating at the highest level is a tremendous honor, but the pressure is immense and the scrutiny never stops. It’s time to step back and look forward to starting a new chapter in my career.”
