Who is Anthony Taylor, referee for Uzbekistan vs Colombia in World Cup 2026?
Taylor will be the man in the middle in Mexico City on Wednesday, as Uzbekistan and Colombia play their first game of the 2026 men’s World Cup.
English referee Anthony Taylor will take charge of Colombia and Uzbekistan’s Group K clash in Mexico City on Wednesday, as the two nations kick off their 2026 World Cup campaigns.
Taylor, 47, will be working his second men’s World Cup. At Qatar 2022, he handled two matches: South Korea vs Ghana and Croatia vs Belgium. Across those games, he issued five yellow cards and one red.
A familiar face
Alongside Uzbekistan’s Abdukodir Khusanov, several Colombia stars - Luis Díaz, Davinson Sánchez, James Rodríguez, Daniel Muñoz, and Jefferson Lerma - are well acquainted with Taylor’s officiating style from their time in the Premier League.
Widely regarded as one of England’s top referees, Taylor has taken charge of more than 830 matches in his career.
The match officials for @FIFAWorldCup matches 21, 22, 23 and 24 have been appointed. 🤝
— FIFA (@FIFAcom) June 14, 2026
Who are Taylor’s assistants? Who is the VAR?
Joining Taylor on the all-English on-field team will be Gary Beswick (48), serving as assistant referee 1, and compatriot Adam Nunn (41) on the opposite touchline. Meanwhile, the fourth official and the reserve assistant will come from Costa Rica: Juan Gabriel Calderón and Juan Carlos Mora.
Croatia’s Ivan Bebek will the video assistant referee, while the assistant VAR will be England’s Jared Gillett.
Uzbekistan vs Colombia: kickoff times, how to watch in the U.S.
Played at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca, the Group K matchup is scheduled to kick off today, Wednesday, June 17, at 10:00 p.m. ET. Viewers in the U.S. can watch the game on Fox Sports 1, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, Fox One and fubo.
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