football | Friday, November 18, 2022 12:05 PM (Revised at: Friday, November 18, 2022 5:02 PM)

2022 World Cup Referee Deep Dive: Foul & Booking Stats, Refs To Watch in Qatar

Scott Thornton

World Cup 2022 Referee Deep Dive

We have looked at the referees ahead of the tournament to help you find the best bets as the action unfolds. The man in the middle can make a huge difference to whether a card is awarded or not.

The referees heading to Qatar this winter have been finalised. There are just two Premier League officials heading to the tournament. But there are several names that card bettors will be familiar with.

Referees from each continent’s qualifying section feature. Just two of the referees out of the 36 didn’t take charge of a single World Cup qualifier.

Meet The 2022 World Cup Referees

*Yamashita and Mukansanga did not referee a qualifying match.

International Football vs Club Football

International football is very different to its domestic cousin. Ahead of the World Cup, we thought it best to compare the performance of referees in club and international matches.
The fairest way is to compare the European World Cup qualifiers with the Champions League from last season. That way, we get a decent cross-section of data that isn’t limited to one nation.

There were 185 matches played across the Champions League last season. This includes the qualifying rounds and play-offs that led up to the groups. There were an average of 2.84 cards awarded per game across the whole competition. This number climbs to 3.02 from the group stages and beyond.

The European World Cup qualifiers saw 258 games. Interestingly, there was an average of 3.02 cards per game. The same as the Champions League from the groups and beyond. I’d expected the card count to be much lower considering the disparity between some of the teams involved.

Overall, there appears to be little difference between the international and club game in terms of cards. The number of cautions will depend on the game and who’s carrying the whistle.

Cards at Previous World Cups

There were 64 matches played at the World Cup in Russia. 219 yellow cards were awarded, along with 4 reds. That’s an average of 3.48 cards per game.

Alireza Faghani averaged the highest number of cards from referees who officiated at least three matches in 2018. The Iranian dished out 4.5 cards per game, and he returns for this tournament.

The 2014 World Cup saw significantly fewer cards than the tournament in Russia. There were 187 yellows and 10 reds awarded in Brazil. An average of 3.08 cards per game. The temperature in Brazil at the time the tournament was played was similar to the tournament in Russia. So the weather conditions aren’t to blame for the lower card count.

The 2010 World Cup saw the worst disciplinary record in recent tournaments. There were 261 yellow cards and a whopping 17 red cards.

Referees to Watch at the 2022 World Cup

Danielle Orsato

Club Matches 2022/23

Total Matches - 9
Yellow Cards - 31
Red Cards - 1
Fouls Per Match - 19.22

International matches (Last 10)

Total Matches - 10
Yellow Cards - 54
Red Cards - 1
Fouls Per Match - 22.2

Danielle Orsato is a name to look out for. The Italian was the most prolific referee in terms of cards throughout qualifying. The bright lights of the World Cup should mean that we see his no-nonsense approach come to the fore.

Orsato dished out 32 yellow cards and one red over his five qualifying matches; an average of 6.6 cards per game. His last 10 international matches have also been very card friendly. There has been an average of 5.5 cards per game over those matches. Both teams have received two cards or more in seven of them.

The Italian has been a little more lenient in club matches so far this season. He is brandishing an average of just 3.44 cards per game. Just two of his matches domestically or in Europe saw both teams pick up two or more cards. This data includes a match he officiated in the Saudi Pro League.

The appointments for each match at the World Cup are yet to be made. So it’s worth keeping an eye on Orsato’s first match to see if he’s carried his recent cautious approach onto the international stage.

Michael Oliver

Club Matches 2022/23

Total Matches - 16
Yellow Cards - 55
Red Cards - 1
Fouls Per Match - 20.38

International matches (Last 10)

Total Matches - 10
Yellow Cards - 41
Red Cards - 3
Fouls Per Match - 26

Michael Oliver took charge of his first Premier League game in 2010. He has been a regular ever since and fans across the globe will be familiar with the official. He has been one of the more lenient officials in the league this season but he is still one to watch this winter.

Oliver was in the middle for five World Cup Qualifiers. He handed out 26 cards; an average of 5.2 per match. His last 10 international matches are averaging 4.1 cards per game. The Englishman has also given out three red cards in these matches.

The official has taken charge of 16 club matches this season. There has been an average of 3.44 yellow cards awarded in those matches. Significantly less than the average amount of cards he awards in international matches. He is also averaging the fourth fewest cards of any Premier League referee this season (3.09 cards per game).

However, like Orsato, his record in qualifying and overall international record suggests he will take a very different approach in this tournament. We can expect cards when Oliver takes charge of the big clashes in Qatar this winter.

Facundo Tello

Club Matches 2022

Total Matches - 20
Yellow Cards - 105
Red Cards - 4
Fouls Per Match - 27.3

International matches (Last 10)

Total Matches - 10
Yellow Cards - 51
Red Cards - 1
Fouls Per Match - 25.2

Facundo Tello grabbed the headlines a couple of weeks before the tournament by brandishing 10 red cards in a final between Boca Juniors and Racing Club.

The Argentine official isn’t shy about handing out cards, but he only ranks 8th in the total amount of yellows distributed in the league this season. The football calendar in Argentina doesn’t coincide with Europe, so their season has just finished. The infamous game where Tello awarded 10 red cards was the Trofeo de Campeones. Showing that Facundo isn’t scared of taking hold of the big matches.

In club matches this season, Facundo hands out an average of 5.25 yellow cards per game. He also awards a penalty in a quarter of his matches.

He has taken charge of four qualifying matches and averaged 4.8 cards per game. He did also award two red cards over the course of these matches. Tello is definitely one to look out for if he is put in charge of a match that has the potential to be fiery in Qatar.