
All international referees must have a good command of English as a starting point. According to FIFA, all match day officials are expected to have a good grasp of English. So if a referee is officiating in a league for example Spain, and he/she does not have a good grasp of Spanish, then he/she will speak in English to both sets of players.
Why do FIFA referees have different languages?
Then, FIFA made it a matter of strong desire that a FIFA Referee or Assistant Referee be functional in one of FIFA's main languages. Later, FIFA required that a FIFA official speak English and another of FIFA's languages.
What language is being used in the FIFA World Cup?
They must also be proficient in English. So you may conclude that English is the language that is being used in this World Cup. However, for other non World Cup matches, if the referee who doesn't speak the language of a team (as the referee might speak multiple languages) he will be talking English to them.
How many referees are there in the FIFA World Cup?
For this year's World Cup, FIFA started out in September 2011 with 52 referees. Over the next two years, it whittled that down to 25 referees and eight alternates. There are many things that were tested during this long process.
Do soccer players have to speak different languages to play soccer?
And even if the players doesn't speak the said languages, Soccer is not a language test. Body/sign language and simple words such as Goal, Offside, Penalty, Foul etc which usually every player playing soccer understands or must understand is how referees communicate anyways.

Do all FIFA referees speak English?
3 Answers. Show activity on this post. FIFA referees are expected to be able to speak English. So if the referee who doesn't speak the language of a team (many international referees speak multiple languages) he will be talking English to them.
Do soccer refs speak English?
Soccer referees for FIFA and UEFA, Europe's soccer federation, may speak several languages, but English is generally the default. The same is increasingly true at the Olympics, where French, once the language used by officials, has fallen by the wayside as English has been more widely adopted.
What language do referees speak in international matches?
When it comes to international matches, however, there are four main languages that are spoken, English, German, French, and Spanish. All international referees must have a good command of English as a starting point. According to FIFA, all match day officials are expected to have a good grasp of English.
What language does FIFA speak?
FIFAFédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)LogoRegion servedWorldwideMembership211 national associationsOfficial languagesFrench, English, Spanish, German, Russian, Arabic17 more rows
Are refs bilingual?
Referees will generally speak to players in English as it is the most commonly spoken language in Europe. According to Ethnologue, English remains the most widely spoken language in the world, with more than 1.25 billion people able to speak English as a first or second language.
What language do PSG players speak?
The majority of PSG players understand the French language, but some are reticent to use it. For instance, Neymar, Ángel Di María and Keylor Navas never speak French, although they do understand it.
Do all football players speak English?
Of course, the old cliche says football is a universal language, and this is true in more ways than one. Most players, regardless of nationality, will have picked up English words such as 'goal', 'foul', 'offside' and so on, even if they don't speak the language well.
How do international soccer players communicate?
How do soccer players communicate with each other? Soccer players communicate with each other by holding up their hand, pointing, moving a hand towards them, a shout, a whistle, a wink, or a motion of their head.
How do you talk to a referee?
1:457:14How To Talk To Referees When Coaching Basketball and Playing ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou can be like hey I seen that you call the foul over there. I'm just kind of curious why what didMoreYou can be like hey I seen that you call the foul over there. I'm just kind of curious why what did you see. And maybe if you're lucky the referee is actually going to explain it to you and if not.
Which country plays FIFA the most?
Top Countries Playing FIFA 20United States – 24.74%Germany – 5.36%United Kingdom – 5.27%Russia – 4.32%Brazil – 4.04%
Who is the boss of FIFA?
Giovanni Vincenzo InfantinoGiovanni Vincenzo Infantino (Italian pronunciation: [dʒoˈvanni vinˈtʃɛntso iɱfanˈtiːno]; born 23 March 1970) is a Swiss-Italian football administrator and the current president of FIFA. He was elected President of FIFA during the 2016 FIFA Extraordinary Congress in February 2016.
What does FIFA stand for in English?
Fédération Internationale de Football AssociationFIFA. / (ˈfiːfə) / n acronym for. Fédération Internationale de Football Association: the international governing body of association football.