The pressure is on: Referee Anthony Taylor retires from football
Veteran referee Anthony Taylor has announced his retirement from football refereeing with immediate effect, saying the pressure and scrutiny that comes with the role has taken its toll.
The 47-year-old ends a career that spanned 20 years and 831 games. His last assignment was Spain’s 1–0 victory over Portugal in the round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup on 6 July.
“It has been an immense privilege to officiate at an elite level, but the pressure is intense and the scrutiny constant,” Taylor said.
“Now is the right time to step aside and look forward to moving into the next chapter of my career.”
Taylor began his refereeing journey after working as a prison officer. He joined the Football League referee list in the 2006–07 season and was promoted to the Premier League in 2010.
He went on to manage 432 Premier League games and every major domestic cup final in England. He also managed 163 international matches during his career.
Taylor was a FIFA-listed referee for 14 years. He officiated at the 2022 and 2026 FIFA World Cups and the 2020 and 2024 UEFA European Championships. He was shortlisted for the 2022 World Cup finals but was not considered as the runners-up, Argentina, were involved.
His biggest home games included the 2015 EFL Cup Final, the 2017 and 2020 FA Cup Finals, the 2015 Community Shield and the 2018 Championship Play-Off Final.
In Europe, Taylor took charge of the 2020 UEFA Super Cup, the 2021 UEFA Nations League Final and the 2023 UEFA Europa League Final.
He was widely praised for his handling of the Euro 2020 match between Denmark and Finland after Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch. Taylor quickly stopped the play and helped ensure the situation was handled calmly.
His career also had its share of controversy. After Roma lost the 2023 Europa League final to Sevilla on penalties, manager Jose Mourinho branded Taylor a “disgrace” and confronted him in the car park. Mourinho was later banned for four matches.
Taylor and his family were also abused by fans at the Budapest airport after that final. In an interview with BBC Sport in 2025, he described it as the worst abuse he had ever experienced.
“That’s the worst situation I’ve ever dealt with in terms of abuse,” Taylor said.
“Not only because I was traveling with family members at the time, but it also highlights the impact of people’s behavior on others.”
Howard Webb, head referee at PGMOL, praised Taylor’s contribution to the game.
“Anthony has been a fantastic servant to the game for many years, both domestically and internationally,” Webb said.
“He has been repeatedly trusted to officiate in the biggest games, including Portugal v Spain at this summer’s World Cup, capping off an outstanding career.”
– The end
Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
21 Jul 2026 21:30 IST