Khamis Al Marri has made history by becoming the first Qatari referee to be part of the officiating team for a FIFA World Cup final, serving as support VAR for the Argentina-Spain showpiece in New Jersey. His appointment marks another milestone for Qatari officiating on football’s biggest stage, following Abdulrahman Al Jassim’s achievement in 2022 when he became the first Qatari referee to officiate at a FIFA World Cup, taking charge of the third-place play-off between Croatia and Morocco. “The emotions before the match were certainly mixed, between joy and a determination to perform well,” Al-Marri told Doha News. Advice for the next generationAsked what he would tell young Qatari referees hoping to follow his path, Al-Marri didn’t hesitate: hard work, and the ability to push through setbacks. This will open the door for the rest of the referees, or for a field referee, to officiate a World Cup final in the future.”