Twenty‑three Ghanaian football referees have been awarded FIFA badges for the 2026 season, highlighting the country’s growing presence in international officiating.

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) presented the badges at a ceremony held at its headquarters in Accra on Tuesday, January 21.

The contingent includes 10 centre referees, 10 assistant referees, one futsal referee, one beach soccer referee and one Video Assistant Referee (VAR), reflecting Ghana’s expanding reach across multiple football disciplines.

Leading the list is veteran official Daniel Nii Laryea, who earned dual recognition as both a centre referee and a VAR official, underscoring his consistency and high standing in African and global refereeing circles.

The roster also features emerging talents such as assistant referee Richard Kwaku and Portia Oppong, who makes history as Ghana’s representative in beach soccer officiating on the FIFA list.

FIFA badges are awarded annually to match officials who meet stringent performance, fitness and technical criteria set by FIFA following evaluations of their performances in the previous year.

Officials must first be assessed by the GFA’s Classification and Assessment Committee before nominations are submitted to FIFA for final approval.

At the ceremony, GFA Vice‑President Mark Addo congratulated the officials and urged them to uphold the highest standards as ambassadors of Ghanaian football on the international stage, encouraging them to pursue excellence and professionalism throughout their assignments.

The FIFA badge entitles the selected referees to officiate in international matches from January through December 2026, with future inclusion dependent on performance and adherence to FIFA regulations.