Zurich: The FIFA Referees Committee has announced the appointment of 54 match officials for the FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025, scheduled to take place from 27th September to 19th October. The officials include 18 referees and 36 assistant referees representing 22 FIFA Member Associations.
According to Emirates News Agency, Pierluigi Collina, Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, stated on FIFA's official website that the selection of officials is part of FIFA's ongoing efforts to provide referees with opportunities to officiate at tournaments featuring emerging football talent. He emphasized that the competition will serve as a testing ground for the Football Video Support (FVS) system, which has shown promising results.
Collina explained that the FVS system builds on its use during last year's FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Colombia and FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in the Dominican Republic. The system was developed in response to requests from several national associations for a lower-cost alternative to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system.
Unlike VAR, the FVS does not use specialist video officials or review all match-impacting incidents. Instead, it allows coaches a limited number of review requests for clear and obvious errors in critical situations such as goals, penalty decisions, direct red cards, or mistaken identity. Players may also suggest reviews to their coaches.
