Mr. Muhammad Taqi is being hailed as one of the best and most reliable referees in Asian football today. He has been selected as the only Southeast Asian referee invited by FIFA to officiate at the 2023 FIFA World Cup.
Vietnamese football fans are familiar with Mr. Taqi as he has officiated many matches involving the Vietnamese national team. However, his performance in the semi-finals of the 2018 Asian U23 tournament between Vietnam and Qatar drew criticism from some Vietnamese fans, who felt he displayed bias towards the West Asian team.
Despite this, Mr. Taqi has continued to establish himself as one of the leading referees in Asia. He has officiated matches involving the Vietnamese national team, including an Asian Cup group stage match against Iran and a World Cup 2022 qualifier against China. In fact, he was the only ASEAN referee selected to work in the VAR room at the 2022 World Cup.
At the 2023 Women's World Cup, Mr. Taqi was among the 107 referees chosen to officiate the tournament. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) contributed 18 referees, including Mr. Taqi, for the event.
This year's Women's World Cup also marks a significant development in refereeing. FIFA has announced that during the tournament, referees will explain their VAR decisions to the spectators on the field, providing greater transparency in the decision-making process.
