The 43-year-old became the first Pole to ever take charge of a World Cup Final

when he refereed the epic clash between Argentina and France in 2022. Winning global praise for his flawless conduct that match, his plaudits included refereeing legend Howard Webb. “It was the best referee performance in the history of the World Cup,” said the Englishman.

Lutz Wagner, a member of the German refereeing committee, added: “Szymon Marciniak managed the players excellently; he radiated authority.” Previously, Marciniak has refereed matches at Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup. At the club level, he officiated the Champions League Final in 2023 as well as the World Club Championships later that year.

Leading the Polish contingent, Marciniak will be joined in Germany by compatriots Tomasz Listkiewicz and Adam Kupsik, who will serve as linesmen, and Tomasz Kwiatkowski and Bartosz Frankowski, who will man the VAR. In all, nineteen referees have been appointed by UEFA to adjudicate the tournament, eighteen of whom hail from Europe. As part of a collaborative initiative with the South American Football Confederation, Argentine referee Facundo Tello will also oversee matches.