World Cup fixtures Andrรฉs Rojas is officiating will be listed here once the tournament is underway
World Cup Referees: Who are the Most Card-Happy Officials at World Cup 2026?
The referees in charge at World Cup 2026 have now been announced by FIFA, giving us the chance to assess which officials might be the most likely to reach for the cards once the action gets underway.
There are plenty of World Cup booking odds on offer and knowing which referees are the strictest can help you spot value prices. Below we look into the most card-happy refs that could have an impact on popular booking markets.
๐ Top 10 Strictest World Cup Referees (Ranked by Yellow Cards)
| Rank | Referee | Nationality | Yellows / Game | Reds / Game | Pens / Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andrรฉs Rojas | Colombia | 5.52 | 0.38 | 0.31 |
| 2 | Alejandro Hernรกndez | Spain | 5.41 | 0.35 | 0.31 |
| 3 | Istvรกn Kovรกcs | Romania | 5.24 | 0.35 | 0.32 |
| 4 | Kevin Ortega | Peru | 5.22 | 0.37 | 0.47 |
| 5 | Hรฉctor Said Martรญnez | Honduras | 5.21 | 0.66 | 0.46 |
| 6 | Yael Falcรณn Pรฉrez | Argentina | 5.18 | 0.25 | 0.27 |
| 7 | Ivan Barton | El Salvador | 5.13 | 0.47 | 0.47 |
| 8 | Gustavo Tejera | Uruguay | 5.05 | 0.29 | 0.33 |
| 9 | Wilton Sampaio | Brazil | 5.05 | 0.29 | 0.28 |
| 10 | Jesรบs Valenzuela | Venezuela | 4.96 | 0.30 | 0.28 |
โน๏ธ Booking stats are taken from Transfermarkt.com at the time the article was written and may have altered slightly since | The stats are based over a refereeโs career so far to help provide insight into their general booking behaviour.
1# Andrรฉs Rojas โ Colombia
Colombiaโs Andrรฉs Rojas is the referee with the highest yellow card per match average of the officials at the 2026 World Cup in USA, Canada and Mexico.
At the time of writing, he has shownย 1958 yellow cardsย and 135 red cardsย inย 353 fixturesย and gives an average ofย 5.52 yellow cards per game.
2# Alejandro Hernรกndez โ Spain
Spanish official Alejandro Hernรกndez is another at the top of the yellow cards per game table and is another whose World Cup matches should be considered for booking betting markets.
At the time of writing, he has shownย 2581 yellow cardsย andย 166 red cardsย inย 477 fixturesย and gives an average ofย 5.41 yellow cards per game.
3# Istvรกn Kovรกcs โ Romania
The top three also includes Istvรกn Kovรกcs from Romania. He has shownย 3128 yellow cardsย andย 207 red cardsย inย 597 fixturesย and gives an average ofย 5.24 yellow cards per game.
๐ฅ Hรฉctor Said Martรญnez โ Honduras
When it comes to red cards, it is Hondurasโs Hรฉctor Said Martรญnez that stands out. He dishes out a red card on average every 0.66 matches!
While his yellow card rate isnโt as high as some others, his willingness to reach for red pushes him into the most strict band of referees.
๐จ World Cup Referee Yellow Card Averages (Highest โ Lowest) โ Full Table
| Rank | Referee | Nationality | Yellows / Game | Reds / Game | Pens / Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andrรฉs Rojas | Colombia | 5.52 | 0.38 | 0.31 |
| 2 | Alejandro Hernรกndez | Spain | 5.41 | 0.35 | 0.31 |
| 3 | Istvรกn Kovรกcs | Romania | 5.24 | 0.35 | 0.32 |
| 4 | Kevin Ortega | Peru | 5.22 | 0.37 | 0.47 |
| 5 | Hรฉctor Said Martรญnez | Honduras | 5.21 | 0.66 | 0.46 |
| 6 | Yael Falcรณn Pรฉrez | Argentina | 5.18 | 0.25 | 0.27 |
| 7 | Ivan Barton | El Salvador | 5.13 | 0.47 | 0.47 |
| 8 | Gustavo Tejera | Uruguay | 5.05 | 0.29 | 0.33 |
| 9 | Wilton Sampaio | Brazil | 5.05 | 0.29 | 0.28 |
| 10 | Jesรบs Valenzuela | Venezuela | 4.96 | 0.30 | 0.28 |
| 11 | Dario Herrera | Argentina | 4.96 | 0.36 | 0.28 |
| 12 | Facundo Tello | Argentina | 4.69 | 0.35 | 0.26 |
| 13 | Ramรณn Abatti | Brazil | 4.60 | 0.26 | 0.25 |
| 14 | Joรฃo Pinheiro | Portugal | 4.51 | 0.19 | 0.33 |
| 15 | Maurizio Mariani | Italy | 4.41 | 0.35 | 0.34 |
| 16 | Juan Gabriel Benรญtez | Paraguay | 4.39 | 0.33 | 0.33 |
| 17 | Oshane Nation | Jamaica | 4.33 | 0.19 | 0.22 |
| 18 | Juan Calderรณn | Guatemala | 4.33 | 0.33 | 0.34 |
| 19 | Felix Zwayer | Germany | 4.31 | 0.20 | 0.29 |
| 20 | Sandro Schรคrer | Switzerland | 4.25 | 0.25 | 0.34 |
| 21 | Cรฉsar Ramos | Mexico | 4.24 | 0.39 | 0.29 |
| 22 | Ning Ma | China | 4.24 | 0.28 | 0.34 |
| 23 | Slavko Vinฤiฤ | Slovenia | 4.17 | 0.22 | 0.24 |
| 24 | Raphael Claus | Brazil | 4.16 | 0.24 | 0.27 |
| 25 | Cristian Garay | Chile | 4.14 | 0.33 | 0.27 |
| 26 | Abongile Tom | South Africa | 4.14 | 0.21 | 0.32 |
| 27 | Katia Garcรญa | Mexico | 4.13 | 0.12 | 0.22 |
| 28 | Ilgiz Tantashev | Uzbekistan | 4.11 | 0.26 | 0.34 |
| 29 | Szymon Marciniak | Poland | 4.07 | 0.23 | 0.42 |
| 30 | Abdulrahman Al Jassim | Qatar | 4.00 | 0.19 | 0.45 |
| 31 | Mustapha Ghorbal | Algeria | 3.94 | 0.22 | 0.38 |
| 32 | Omar Al Ali | UAE | 3.84 | 0.32 | 0.48 |
| 33 | Tori Penso | United States | 3.82 | 0.11 | 0.28 |
| 34 | Alireza Faghani | Australia | 3.78 | 0.19 | 0.26 |
| 35 | Franรงois Letexier | France | 3.77 | 0.28 | 0.34 |
| 36 | Pierre Atcho | Gabon | 3.74 | 0.09 | 0.14 |
| 37 | Dahane Beida | Mauritania | 3.73 | 0.17 | 0.33 |
| 38 | Ismail Elfath | United States | 3.68 | 0.25 | 0.32 |
| 39 | Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh | New Zealand | 3.57 | 0.30 | 0.45 |
| 40 | Adham Makhadmeh | Jordan | 3.56 | 0.14 | 0.25 |
| 41 | Amin Mohamed | Egypt | 3.52 | 0.21 | 0.34 |
| 42 | Anthony Taylor | England | 3.51 | 0.18 | 0.31 |
| 43 | Khalid Al Turais | Saudi Arabia | 3.44 | 0.17 | 0.41 |
| 44 | Omar Abdulkadir Artan | Somalia | 3.37 | 0.07 | 0.19 |
| 45 | Drew Fischer | Canada | 3.28 | 0.16 | 0.30 |
| 46 | Michael Oliver | England | 3.27 | 0.15 | 0.31 |
| 47 | Jalal Jayed | Morocco | 3.25 | 0.16 | 0.50 |
| 48 | Espen Eskรฅs | Norway | 3.23 | 0.12 | 0.30 |
| 49 | Danny Makkelie | Netherlands | 3.22 | 0.24 | 0.30 |
| 50 | Clement Turpin | France | 3.21 | 0.26 | 0.35 |
| 51 | Glenn Nyberg | Sweden | 3.07 | 0.13 | 0.18 |
| 52 | Yusuke Araki | Japan | 2.69 | 0.13 | 0.22 |
โน๏ธ Booking stats are taken from Transfermarkt.com at the time the article was written and may have altered slightly since | The stats are based over a refereeโs career so far to help provide insight into their general booking behaviour.
๐ Over/Under Betting Model (Cards Per Match)
When it comes to booking bets at the 2026 World Cup, there are plenty of markets to explore. Maybe one of the most popular to consider based on the above referee stats is the over/under cards per match markets.
๐ฏ How the Model Works
Each refereeโs average yellow card per game becomes a baseline expectation and we define two key betting bands and the refs that fall into them.
๐ฅ High card refs (OVER lean)
- 4.50+ yellows/game
- Strong tendency to go over most common lines (3.5 / 4.5)
๐ฉ Low card refs (UNDER lean)
- < 3.50
- Strong under bias on standard lines
ย
๐ฅ OVER-LEAN Results (High Card Referees)
(4.50+ yellows/game โ strong Over 3.5 / 4.5 bias)
- Andrรฉs Rojas (Colombia) โ 5.52 Y/G | 0.38 R/G
- Alejandro Hernรกndez (Mexico) โ 5.41 Y/G | 0.35 R/G
- Istvรกn Kovรกcs (Romania) โ 5.24 Y/G | 0.35 R/G
- Kevin Ortega (Peru) โ 5.22 Y/G | 0.37 R/G
- Hรฉctor Said Martรญnez (Honduras) โ 5.21 Y/G | 0.66 R/G
- Yael Falcรณn Pรฉrez (Argentina) โ 5.18 Y/G | 0.25 R/G
- Ivan Barton (El Salvador) โ 5.13 Y/G | 0.47 R/G
- Gustavo Tejera (Uruguay) โ 5.05 Y/G | 0.29 R/G
- Wilton Sampaio (Brazil) โ 5.05 Y/G | 0.29 R/G
- Jesรบs Valenzuela (Venezuela) โ 4.96 Y/G | 0.30 R/G
- Dario Herrera (Argentina) โ 4.96 Y/G | 0.36 R/G
- Facundo Tello (Argentina) โ 4.69 Y/G | 0.35 R/G
- Ramรณn Abatti (Brazil) โ 4.60 Y/G | 0.26 R/G
- Joรฃo Pinheiro (Portugal) โ 4.51 Y/G | 0.19 R/G
Total: 14 refs
๐ฉ UNDER-LEAN Results (Low Card Referees)
(< 3.50 yellows/game โ strong Under bias)
- Drew Fischer (Canada) โ 3.28 Y/G | 0.16 R/G
- Michael Oliver (England) โ 3.27 Y/G | 0.15 R/G
- Jalal Jayed (Morocco) โ 3.25 Y/G | 0.16 R/G
- Espen Eskรฅs (Norway) โ 3.23 Y/G | 0.12 R/G
- Danny Makkelie (Netherlands) โ 3.22 Y/G | 0.24 R/G
- Clement Turpin (France) โ 3.21 Y/G | 0.26 R/G
- Glenn Nyberg (Sweden) โ 3.07 Y/G | 0.13 R/G
- Yusuke Araki (Japan) โ 2.69 Y/G | 0.13 R/G
Total: 8 refs
๐ฅConsider How Red Cards Can Alter Ref Stats
While focusing on yellow cards per game is a good indicator for general match booking bets, especially when betting over/under markets, it is sometimes also worth considering how red cards could change things.
Red card betting is also possible with the best soccer betting sites so could be considered when certain officials are in charge.
โ ๏ธ Key Insights
Reds materially change tiers
- Several refs jump up a full tier due to red card frequency
- Hรฉctor Said Martรญnez โ massive 0.66 reds/game โ becomes one of the strictest overall
The pool becomes EVEN MORE over-leaning
- Elite + Strict tiers dominate when reds are factored in
- True โunder refsโ become extremely rare
๐ This explains why:
- Over 3.5 is often priced aggressively
- Value often shifts to Over 4.5 / 5.5 with elite refs
Hidden edge refs
These refs donโt look extreme on yellows alone but become strong overs with their reds also factored:
- Ivan Barton
- Kevin Ortega
- Szymon Marciniak
- Abdulrahman Al Jassim
Best Bookies for World Cup 2026 Booking Bets
Here is a list of theย top five Australian betting sitesย that offer top goalscorer markets. For a more detailed breakdown of the best bookies and markets available you should check out ourย World Cup bettingย page, but these our the top five picks to get you started.
We are big fans of bet365, which is one of the first operators to price up match and booking markets in general. Unibet, which always has a wide range of odds and stats, is another top option.
Ad disclosure
How we rate
Best FIFA World Cup Betting Site
1
Best Live Streaming
Many Sports Covered
Terms & Conditions:
Huge range of sports, Exceptional product, Lots of payment options
Payment methods
(7 in total):
Minimum Deposit:
AU $1
Withdraw Time:
1-5 Days
Licences:
Northern Territory
App availability:
- Excellent for live soccer streams
- Enhanced soccer odds
- Great for soccer accas
Geo restrictions apply. You must have a funded account or have placed a bet in the last 24 hours to โฆRead more
2
Great Betting App
Watch Live Streams
Terms & Conditions:
Great all-round bookie,ย Unibet TV,ย Impressive app
Payment methods
(4 in total):
Minimum Deposit:
AU $5
Withdraw Time:
1-5 Days
Licences:
Northern Territory
App availability:
- Lots of player markets
- Live soccer streaming
- Slower withdrawals
Reliable Bookmaker with Flawless Track Record
3
Horse Racing Live Streams
Big Races Covered
Terms & Conditions:
Superb betting app,ย Watch live horse racing,ย Range of sports markets
Payment methods
(7 in total):
Minimum Deposit:
AU $10
Withdraw Time:
1-2 Days
Licences:
New South Wales
App availability:
- Excellent betting app
- Good for fast withdrawals
- No live streaming
Variety of Betting Markets
4
Sports and Fantasy Betting
Range of Markets
Terms & Conditions:
Range of sports markets,ย Daily fantasy sports offered,ย Apps for iOS and Android
Payment methods
(6 in total):
Minimum Deposit:
AU $10
Withdraw Time:
1-3 Days
Licences:
Northern Territory
App availability:
- Good markets for A-League
- Fantasy soccer betting available
- No soccer live streaming
Key Player on the AUS Betting Scene
5
Aussie Sport Focus
Great for Multi Bets
Terms & Conditions:
Strong focus on racing,ย Excellent for enhanced odds,ย Good bet builder
Payment methods
(7 in total):
Minimum Deposit:
AU $10
Withdraw Time:
1-2 Days
Licences:
New South Wales
App availability:
- Great for A-League bets
- High number of soccer markets
- Live streaming unavailable
Traditional Values and Great Betting App