English Referee Anthony Taylor has retired from elite refereeing bring an end to an over 20 year career that saw him officiate 831 matches across domestic and international competitions.
Taylor officiated 668 professional matches in England, including 432 Premier League games over 16 seasons. During his domestic career, he took charge of every major English cup final, including the FA Cup finals in 2017 and 2020, the 2015 League Cup final, the 2015 FA Community Shield, and the 2018 Championship play-off final.
Internationally, Taylor spent 14 years on FIFA’s International List and established himself as one of the world’s leading referees. He officiated at two FIFA World Cups (2022 and 2026), two UEFA European Championships (2020 and 2024), and two FIFA Club World Cups (2022 and 2025). The 47-year-old’s last game was the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash between Portugal and Spain in the United States
Across 163 international matches, he handled several of football’s biggest occasions, including the UEFA Super Cup in 2020, the UEFA Nations League final in 2021, the FIFA Club World Cup final in 2022, the UEFA Europa League final in 2023, and a UEFA Champions League semi-final in 2024.
Taylor also served as an additional Assistant Referee during several UEFA finals, including the 2016 UEFA Champions League final and the UEFA European Championship final the same year.
Reflecting on his decision, Taylor described officiating at the highest level as “an immense privilege” but acknowledged the relentless pressure and scrutiny that comes with the role.
“Officiating at the elite level has been an immense privilege, but the pressure is intense and the scrutiny is constant. The time is now right to step aside and look forward to transitioning to the next chapter of my career,” he said.
Controversial Matches
Chelsea 2–2 Tottenham (“Battle of the Bridge”) – May 2, 2016
Anthony Taylor came under intense scrutiny after officiating one of the most ill-tempered matches in Premier League history. The heated London derby saw Tottenham players commit a series of reckless challenges as their title hopes slipped away, with Taylor issuing nine yellow cards but no red cards during the match. Many former players, managers and pundits argued that stronger disciplinary action earlier in the contest could have prevented the game from descending into chaos.
Argentina 2–2 Netherlands (FIFA World Cup Quarter-final) – December 9, 2022
Taylor’s handling of the dramatic World Cup quarter-final in Qatar was heavily debated after he issued a tournament-record 18 yellow cards, along with an additional caution after the final whistle. The highly charged encounter featured repeated confrontations between players and coaching staff from both sides. Argentina captain Lionel Messi was among those who criticized Taylor after the match, saying FIFA should not have appointed him to officiate such an important fixture.
Roma 1–1 Sevilla (UEFA Europa League Final) – May 31, 2023
Taylor found himself at the centre of controversy following Sevilla’s penalty shootout victory over Roma in the Europa League final. Roma manager José Mourinho strongly criticized the English referee’s decisions, accusing him of bias before confronting him in the stadium car park after the match. UEFA later sanctioned Mourinho for his conduct. In the aftermath, Taylor and his family were harassed by supporters at Budapest Airport, prompting widespread condemnation from football authorities and fellow officials.
