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Ranking the 10 Best Referees in Football History
May 18, 2025
Summary
Referees face immense pressure to make the right decisions without drawing attention to themselves.
Over the years, referees have come and gone, but only the very best are ever remembered.
The greatest officials have won the respect of players, managers and fans, with the likes of Howard Webb and the legendary Pierluigi Collina among the greatest of all time.
Football referees aren't supposed to be in the headlines. Their job is to lurk in the shadows and control the match without angering either team. It's no easy feat - and there is always pressure to make the right decisions, which makes the job of being a referee immensely challenging. No one goes through their entire career without making any mistakes, while some like David Coote, make theirs off-the-pitch and find themselves under even more scrutiny than they were before.
However, as is always the case in every walk of life, some are better at their job than others. The best officials have been trusted to referee some of the biggest matches in world football, safe in the knowledge that they are unlikely to make themselves the centre of attention. The idea of being respected by players is a fantasy for most referees, but some have achieved this rare honour.
As the debate over the standard of officiating in the Premier League rumbles on, here is a list of the 10 best referees in football history, with three of them having worked in the English top-flight before.
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