Introduction

Football is one of the most popular sports in the world. It is played by people of all ages in almost every country. And with the sport comes a lot of money. In this blog post, we will be looking at the top 10 FIFA highest-paid football referees in the world for 2022. These are the men (and one woman) who make sure that the beautiful game is played fair and square. From their salaries to their sponsorships, read on to find out more about these amazing individuals.

10. Mark Geiger – $70,000

Mark Geiger is an American soccer referee who has been officiating professionally since 2004. He is currently a FIFA-licensed referee and has officiated matches in Major League Soccer, the North American Soccer League, and Concacaf Champions League.

Geiger was born in Trenton, New Jersey, and began his officiating career in local youth leagues. He then progressed to high school and college games before being accepted into the Professional Referee Organization’s training program in 2004. Geiger became a professional referee that same year and was assigned to MLS matches.

In 2007, Geiger was appointed as a full-time referee for the NASL, where he officiated until the league folded in 2016. He also served as a referee for the CONCACAF Champions League from 2008 to 2017. In 2018, Geiger returned to MLS as a part-time official.

Geiger has been praised for his performance as a referee, and he was named the Professional Referee of the Year by U.S. Soccer in 2011 and 2013. He was also named CONCACAF Referee of the Year in 2015.

9. Felix Brych – $75,000

Felix Brych is a German football referee who has been officiating since 1999. He is currently a FIFA-licensed referee, and he has officiated matches in the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and FIFA World Cup. Brych is considered one of the best referees in the world, and his annual salary is estimated to be $75,000.

8. Bjorn Kuipers – $76,000

Bjorn Kuipers is a Dutch professional football referee who has been officiating since 1999. He is currently a FIFA-licensed referee, and is one of the highest-paid referees in the world, earning an estimated $76,000 per year.

Kuipers began his career as a referee in the Dutch Eredivisie, before moving on to officiate in other European leagues and competitions. He has refereed several high-profile matches, including the UEFA Champions League final in 2014 between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid.

In addition to his on-field duties, Kuipers also works as a television commentator and analyst for various networks. He has been praised for his clear and concise explanations of the game’s laws, and his ability to provide insightful analysis of matches.

7. Cuneyt Cakir – $80,000

Cüneyt Çakır is a Turkish football referee who has been officiating since 1992. He has been a FIFA-licensed referee since 2002.

Çakır has officiated at numerous high-profile matches, including the UEFA Champions League Final in 2020 and the FIFA World Cup in 2018. He is widely considered to be one of the best referees in the world, and his annual salary reflects this.

Çakır earns an annual salary of $80,000 from FIFA, making him the second-highest paid football referee in the world. This doesn’t include any additional earnings he receives from other sources, such as sponsorships or appearances fees.

6. Martin Atkinson – $85,000

Martin Atkinson is one of the top FIFA referees in the world and he earns a salary of $85,000 per year. He has officiated at some of the biggest football matches in recent years, including the Champions League final and the World Cup final.

Atkinson is a highly respected figure in the world of refereeing and his salary reflects his status. He is one of a select few referees who earn more than $100,000 per year from their salaries and match fees.

5. Nestor Pitana – $88,000

Nestor Pitana, an Argentine football referee, is one of the highest-paid referees in the world. He has been a FIFA referee since 2013 and has officiated at some of the biggest tournaments in the world, including the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2015 Copa America. In 2016, he was named as one of the 10 best referees in the world by FIFA.

Pitana earns a basic salary of $88,000 from FIFA as a World Cup referee. He also receives additional payments for each match that he officiates, which can add up to a significant amount over the course of a year. In 2018, it was reported that Pitana earned a total of $500,000 from his refereeing duties.

Pitana is one of a number of high-profile referees who have taken up residence in Dubai in recent years. This is because Dubai offers tax-free incomes, which means that Pitana can keep more of his earnings than he would if he lived in another country.

As well as being one of the best-paid referees in the world, Pitana is also one of the most experienced. He has been officiating professional football matches for over 20 years and has played an important role in some key moments in football history.

4. Damir Skomina – $96,000

Damir Skomina is a Slovenian football referee who has been officiating since 2003. He has been a FIFA-licensed referee since 2006 and has officiated at numerous international tournaments, including the 2010 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2012, and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Skomina is one of the highest-paid football referees in the world, earning an annual salary of $96,000.