Anthony Taylor, a referee who officiated in the English Premier League (EPL) and at the World Cup, has announced his retirement after the upcoming North America World Cup.
Britain's BBC reported on the 22nd (Korea time) that "Taylor announced his retirement, no longer able to withstand the extreme pressure of the refereeing job."
A prison officer before becoming a referee, Taylor first joined the English Football League referee list in the 2006-2007 season. He was promoted to the EPL in 2010 and earned enough recognition to officiate major finals. Taylor spent 16 seasons in the EPL, refereeing 432 matches, and also took charge of the 2024 UEFA Champions League (UCL) final between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid. The 48-year-old officiated a total of 831 matches over 20 years as a referee.
In a statement, Taylor said, "Officiating at the highest level has been an immense honor, but the pressure was just as heavy, and I had to endure constant scrutiny and criticism," adding, "I have now judged that this is the right time to step back and move on to the next chapter of my career."
Howard Webb, the chief refereeing officer, offered support, saying, "I thank Taylor for his contribution to world football refereeing. He will surely succeed in fields other than refereeing as well."
Taylor was also a strong candidate to referee at the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup, but he was excluded from the assignment because of the political relationship between Argentina and England, after the final was set between Argentina and Spain.
However, Taylor is regarded as a referee who was particularly frequently embroiled in controversy off the pitch as well. To Korean fans, he is remembered as the man who sent off coach Paulo Bento in the match against Ghana at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. His decision to end the match without awarding a corner kick at the time also drew significant controversy overseas.
