We are proud to announce the first official cooperation between the Japan Football Association and Referee Abroad, marking an exciting step forward in our shared commitment to international referee development.

The JFA will select five promising young referees who will travel from Japan to Sweden to take part in the Gothia Cup — globally recognised as the “Youth World Cup” and one of the largest and most international youth football tournaments in the world.

The selected Japanese referees will join over 120 international officials from the Referee Abroad network, forming part of a truly global refereeing team and benefiting from a high-level development environment.

The experience will be further enriched by the presence of top-level observers, including former FIFA World Cup referee Yuichi Nishimura, alongside renowned former international assistant referees Leif Lindberg and Renato Faverani, both appointed to FIFA World Cup finals, as well as Jaap Pool.

Daniele Curcio, President of Referee Abroad, commented:
“We are extremely proud to start this official collaboration with the Japan Football Association. While we have already had Japanese referees participating in our events — always standing out for their quality, discipline, and professionalism — this is the first time we are working directly with the federation. I would also like to sincerely thank the JFA for their trust, their cooperation, and for making possible the participation of Yuichi Nishimura in this initiative. It is an important milestone, and we believe this cooperation can grow into something truly meaningful, starting from an exceptional platform like Gothia Cup.”