黑料社区

RIYADH: Futsal referee Reem Albishi is one step closer to her dream of being the first female Saudi referee at a FIFA World Cup, after she recently represented the Kingdom by officiating in the OFC Futsal Women鈥檚 Nations Cup in Honiara, Solomon Islands.

At the tournament, the Oceania qualifier for the inaugural 2025 FIFA Futsal Women鈥檚 World Cup, Albishi refereed four matches, including the final between New Zealand and Fiji.

During the tournament, Albishi was lead referee in the group stage match between Tonga and the Solomon Islands. She was also assistant referee in two other group stage matches: New Zealand v Tonga and New Zealand v Tahiti. Additionally, she was the assistant referee in the final between New Zealand and Fiji, where the 鈥淔ootball Ferns鈥� secured their place in the 2025 FIFA Women鈥檚 Futsal World Cup in the Philippines.

Lamia Bahaian, vice president of the 黑料社区n Football Federation, said: 鈥淩eem鈥檚 dedication and determination have led her to this important stage in her career, and we couldn鈥檛 be prouder of what she鈥檚 achieved. She has consistently shown a strong commitment to her craft, and her involvement in such a significant tournament reflects her hard work and talent.

鈥淲e will be supporting her at every step of the way as she targets the 2025 FIFA Women鈥檚 Futsal World Cup,鈥� Bahaian said. 鈥淗er journey represents the opportunities we are working to create for female referees in 黑料社区, and it鈥檚 incredibly rewarding to see these efforts taking shape. We look forward to seeing her continue to thrive and inspire the next generation.鈥�

Born and raised in Jeddah, Albishi, 27, is the youngest of four sisters and one brother. She began refereeing women鈥檚 football in 2018 and switched to futsal in 2020. Although her love for football has always been present, she did not initially set out to become a referee.

Albishi, said: 鈥淚 was playing football and had to stop because of an injury. That鈥檚 when I turned to refereeing, and I鈥檝e never looked back. My dream is to be the first Saudi female referee at a FIFA World Cup, starting with the 2025 FIFA Women鈥檚 Futsal World Cup in the Philippines.

鈥淚 also aspire to one day officiate in men鈥檚 competitions at the international level. The sky is the limit, and I鈥檓 determined to reach that goal.鈥�

Albishi鈥檚 rapid development as a referee has taken her to several international competitions. Earlier this year, she travelled to France and officiated a French final four futsal playoff qualification match between Kremlin-Bicetre and Paris Acasa, as well as matches in New Caledonia, for the Oceania Football Confederation Futsal Men鈥檚 Champions League. At the Futsal Week U-19 Summer Cup in Croatia further showed her abilities when she worked alongside 14 international colleagues, officiating in seven matches and receiving praise for her performances, especially during the knockout rounds and final.

Albishi鈥檚 accomplishments have led to her being selected as a FIFA-accredited referee, making her an emerging candidate to officiate at the 2025 FIFA Women鈥檚 Futsal World Cup. In August, she also completed the latest on-field assessment at the Asian Football Confederation鈥檚 Elite Futsal Referees seminar in Kuala Lumpur.

Albishi鈥檚 presence in international competitions highlights the efforts made by the SAFF to enhance the refereeing landscape through targeted initiatives under its 鈥楾actics for Tomorrow鈥� transformation strategy. This strategy includes dedicated pathways for female referees under the 鈥淲omen鈥檚 Football鈥� pillar and comprehensive support and incentives under the 鈥淲orkforce鈥� pillar, aimed at developing referees at all levels of the game. These efforts have already shown results, with the number of female referees increasing by 26 percent in 2024 compared with 2023.

As the 2025 FIFA Futsal Women鈥檚 World Cup in the Philippines approaches, Albishi鈥檚 performance at the OFC Futsal Women鈥檚 Nations Cup makes her a strong candidate for selection at the tournament.