Referee Abroad is thrilled to continue its partnership with the English Football Association (FA), following a significant visit by our President, Daniele Curcio, to Wembley Stadium. This collaboration integrates with the FA’s elite refereeing development program, FA Core.

The partnership launched this summer with 20 referees and 8 coaches from across the UK participating in the Ibercup Estoril. The event featured distinguished refereeing experts, including Ray Ellingham, former Welsh FA refereeing manager and UEFA observer; George Cain, ex-Premier League referee; and current PGMOL referees Ruebyn Ricardo and Will Davis.

This project is spearheaded by Ed Duckworth, National Referee Manager for the English FA, who has a personal connection to the Ibercup, having participated as a young referee himself.

Looking ahead, the partnership will extend to events across America, with representatives from each FA Core region participating. We are also exploring opportunities to broaden this cooperation to futsal events and to include female officials, further advancing global refereeing development.

We eagerly anticipate the continued success of this partnership and its positive impact on the refereeing community worldwide.