Referee Anthony Taylor retires from football officiating: Pressure is intense and scrutiny constant

Veteran referee Anthony Taylor has announced his retirement from football officiating with immediate effect, saying the pressure and scrutiny that come with the job have taken their toll.

The 47-year-old ends a career that spanned 20 years and 831 matches. His final assignment was Spain’s 1-0 win over Portugal in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 on July 6.

“Officiating at the elite level has been an immense privilege, but the pressure is intense and the scrutiny is constant,” Taylor said.

“The time is now right to step aside and look forward to transitioning to the next chapter of my career.”

Taylor began his refereeing journey after working as a prison officer. He joined the Football League referees’ list in the 2006-07 season and was promoted to the Premier League in 2010.

He went on to officiate 432 Premier League matches and every major domestic cup final in England. He also handled 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 UEFA European Championships in 2020 and 2024. He was shortlisted for the 2022 World Cup final but was not considered because the finalists, Argentina, were involved.

His biggest domestic matches 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 the way he handled the Euro 2020 match between Denmark and Finland after Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch. Taylor quickly stopped the game and helped ensure the situation was managed calmly.

His career also had its share of controversy. After Roma lost the 2023 Europa League final to Sevilla on penalties, then manager Jose Mourinho called Taylor a “disgrace” and confronted him in a car park. Mourinho was later banned for four matches.

Taylor and his family were also abused by fans at Budapest Airport after that final. Speaking to BBC Sport in 2025, he described it as the worst abuse he had experienced.

“That’s the worst situation I’ve dealt with in terms of abuse,” Taylor said.

“Not only because I was travelling with family members at the time, but it also highlights the impact of people’s behaviour on others.”

Howard Webb, chief refereeing officer at PGMOL, praised Taylor’s contribution to the game.

“Anthony has been a fantastic servant to the game over many years, both domestically and on the international stage,” Webb said.

“He has been repeatedly trusted to officiate in the biggest games, including Portugal against Spain in this summer’s World Cup, which capped off an outstanding career.”

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