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FIFA names 54 officials for U-17 Women’s World Cup 2025, including OFC referees from Fiji, Solomon Islands, and NZ.
FIFA has confirmed the appointment of 54 match officials for the upcoming FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2025™, scheduled to take place from 17 October to 8 November. The list includes 18 referees and 36 assistant referees representing 36 FIFA Member Associations.
Among the appointed officials is a trio from the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC): referee Torika Delai from Fiji, and assistant referees Natalia Lumukana of the Solomon Islands and Allys Clipsham of New Zealand.
Delai, currently Fiji’s only female FIFA referee, recently officiated a high-profile match between Australia and Slovenia. Lumukana has held her FIFA assistant referee badge since 2019, while Clipsham was awarded hers earlier this year. Both assistant referees were part of the first all-female officiating team to oversee a men’s OFC tournament earlier in 2025.
“It is always exciting for me when announcements such as this one are made, but this one is even more special than normal. This year’s tournament is the first of the annual competitions to be played in Morocco over the next five years, and the first edition with 24 participating teams,” said Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee Pierluigi Collina.
“Just as it is crucial for match officials to gain experience on the global stage, so it is vital for young players to be given the opportunity to test themselves against the very best in the world in their age category. The FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2025 will provide those playing and those officiating with an invaluable chance to learn, improve and grow in their chosen fields, all for the good of the game,” he added.
The tournament will also feature the continued use of Football Video Support (FVS), which was trialed at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup™ in Colombia and the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup™ in the Dominican Republic. FVS is a cost-effective alternative to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system and allows head coaches to request reviews of specific match-changing incidents. Unlike VAR, FVS does not use dedicated video match officials and does not automatically check all major decisions.
“Morocco will be the home of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup™ for the next five years, and the country shows such a passion for women’s football that we can’t wait for the tournament to start. The women’s game is continuously growing, as is this tournament, which will – for the first time – take place with 24 teams. More diversity equals more opportunities for match officials to show just how much they are in tune with the game and its expectations,” said FIFA Head of Women’s Refereeing Bibiana Steinhaus-Webb.
The FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2025 marks a milestone for both players and officials as the tournament expands and continues to serve as a platform for development in women’s football.
SOURCE : High Park Communications Press Release
