Canada Soccer has 16 referees represented on the FIFA List of International Referees for 2023, all are returning from the previous year’s FIFA’s Refereeing International Lists. In addition, five Canada Soccer Referees, have been selected for the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia/New Zealand 2023™.
“We are proud of these 16 Canadian officials appointed to the FIFA List of International Referees, Assistant Referees and Video Match Officials for 2023,” said Isaac Raymond, Canada Soccer Referee Department Manager. “Our FIFA match officials represent the highest level of achievement in refereeing by showcasing themselves on and off the field to be deserving of their position on the international stage.”
Canada Soccer is responsible for the development and training of match officials for amateur and professional competitions in Canada. In partnership with our Provincial and Territorial Associations and sanctioned professional leagues, Canada Soccer provides development and training opportunities to advance to the national list of referees and nominations to the FIFA list.
This past year, Drew Fischer played a key role as a Video Match Official at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. In 2023 Canada Soccer Referees, Marie-Soleil Beaudoin, Chantal Boudreau, Myriam Marcotte, Drew Fischer, and Carol-Anne Chenard were selected as match officials for the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia/New Zealand 2023™.
Oscar Mitchell-Carvalho, who was on the FIFA refereeing list for six years from 2017 to 2022, has retired from the FIFA list.
As of 2023, Carol-Anne Chenard becomes the most tenured Match Official on the FIFA refereeing list, having first been appointed in 2006. Fisher (2015) holds both an appointment as Video Match Official and Referee. Fisher (2015), Beaudoin (2014), Marcotte (2019), Lauzière (2021), and Shaw-Maclaren (2022) have all been appointed referees in this decade. As for assistant referees, Gagnon Chretien (2015), Boudreau (2015), Snedden (2018), Tanaka-Freundt (2021), Barwegan (2018), Fortin (2019), Arfa (2021), Lemieux (2021), Wattam (2018) have also been named on the FIFA list. Chris Grabas (2018) is the sole Referee on the list appointed as a Futsal Referee.
Canada Soccer Referees on the FIFA International List of Referees
Name | Province | First Year on FIFA List |
Marie-Soleil Beaudoin | Nova Scotia | Referee (2014) |
Drew Fischer | Alberta | Referee & Video Match Official (2015) |
Pierre-Luc Lauzière | Québec | Referee (2021) |
Myriam Marcotte | Québec | Referee (2019) |
Carly Shaw-Maclaren | British Columbia | Referee (2021) |
Carol-Anne Chenard | Québec | Video Match Official (2006) |
Lyes Arfa | Québec | Assistant Referee (2021) |
Micheal Barwegen | Alberta | Assistant Referee (2018) |
Chantal Boudreau | Saskatchewan | Assistant Referee (2015) |
Stéphanie Fortin | Québec | Assistant Referee (2019) |
Marie-Han Gagnon Chretien | Québec | Assistant Referee (2015) |
Gabrielle Lemieux | Québec | Assistant Referee (2021) |
Melissa Snedden | Ontario | Assistant Referee (2018) |
Stefan Tanaka-Freundt | British Columbia | Assistant Referee (2021) |
Chris Wattam | British Columbia | Assistant Referee (2018) |
Chris Grabas | Québec | Futsal Referee (2018) |