Egypt’s Mahmoud Ashour and Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Al-Shehri have weathered a dramatic 48 hours, swinging from the backlash of public criticism to the reward of World Cup selection.
On Thursday, the Egyptian and Saudi Arabian Football Associations announced that a refereeing team from each country had been selected to officiate at the 2026 World Cup, to be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer.
The Saudi delegation features referee Khalid Al-Taris, assistant referee Mohammed Al-Abkari and VAR official Abdullah Al-Shehri.
Their Egyptian counterparts include Amin Omar as referee, Mahmoud Abu Al-Raghal and Ahmed Hossam Taha as assistant referees, and Mahmoud Ashour as video assistant referee.
Curiously, both selected VAR officials have recently been at the centre of controversial refereeing incidents in their domestic leagues.
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Most recently, Ashour officiated as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in Tuesday’s Egyptian Premier League play-off opener between Al Ahly and Ceramica Cleopatra, which ended 1–1.
In first-half stoppage time, the ball struck Ceramica Cleopatra full-back Ahmed Hani’s hand inside the box, yet referee Mahmoud Wafa—after consulting VAR—declined to award Al Ahly a penalty.
Although Ashour summoned him for a review, Wafa upheld his original call, sparking fury from Al Ahly, who later issued a statement demanding the release of the referee communication.
Twenty-four hours later, fellow Saudi official Abdullah Al-Shahri was the VAR for Al-Ahli’s 1-1 home draw with Al-Fayha in Round 29 of the Roshen League.
Al-Shehri was widely criticised for asking referee Mohammed Al-Sama’il to overturn an earlier penalty awarded to Al-Ahli, yet failing to intervene when a second-half spot-kick claim for the same side was turned away.
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Within 48 hours, however, the narrative shifted dramatically when the pair were picked to officiate at the World Cup, marking a historic first for both nations.
It marks Saudi Arabia’s first World Cup appearance in 16 years, dating back to the 2010 tournament in South Africa.
Conversely, it marks the first time an entire Egyptian refereeing crew has been entrusted with World Cup duties.
The 2026 World Cup begins on 11 June and concludes with the final on 19 July, featuring 48 teams, including eight Arab sides for the first time in the tournament’s history.