FIFA Picks Kenyan Referee For Revamped Club World Cup Featuring Chelsea, Real Madrid
Yiembe, steadily climbing the ranks in the world of match officiating, has been named among 117 officials selected to oversee games at the Club World Cup
Viral Tea Ke Writer 
Referee Stephen Yiembe is set to represent Kenya at the revamped FIFA Club World Cup featuring 32 teams for the first time ever. Yiembe is the only official from the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) region selected for the tournament set to be held in the United States (US).
Yiembe, steadily climbing the ranks in the world of match officiating, has been named among 117 officials selected to oversee games at the Club World Cup, scheduled from June 14 to July 13, 2025.
He will serve as one of the assistant referees at the high-profile tournament, which will showcase football heavyweights like Erling Haaland of Manchester City, Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid and Cole Palmer of Chelsea.
Kenyan match official Stephen Yiembe during a past match. /PULSE SPORTS
This marks Yiembe’s third appearance on the global stage, following his debut at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and a second showing at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Yiembe was also on duty during the AFCON U23 final between Morocco and Egypt in July 2023.
FIFA noted that the selection process for match officials was highly competitive, involving global seminars and intensive technical training to ensure only the top-performing referees were chosen for this landmark tournament.
He will join a distinguished group of 117 officials, made up of 35 referees, 58 assistant referees, and 24 VAR officials, representing 41 different member associations.
Commenting on the appointments, FIFA Referees Committee chairman Pierluigi Collina said the selected officials were fortunate to be part of the revamped FIFA Club World Cup, calling it a unique opportunity.
“As every new competition starts, the selected referees are among those who have the privilege to be part of this for the first time,” he said.
Adding, “We are coming from high-standard performances delivered during the last FIFA tournaments. So the bar is higher… But we are working very hard, and Team One will make a solid contribution to the success of this exciting competition."
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will mark a major evolution in the tournament’s format, expanding from a small, one-week competition to a full-scale, month-long global event.
This edition will feature 32 of the world’s top club teams, making it the biggest and most ambitious Club World Cup in FIFA history. It is designed to mirror the structure and prestige of the FIFA World Cup, but at a club level, bringing together champions and elite squads from every continent.
This expanded format means fans can expect a tournament filled with elite talent, high-stakes matches, and global storylines. The best clubs from UEFA, CONMEBOL, CAF, AFC, CONCACAF, and OFC are expected to battle it out for international dominance.
For many, this tournament offers a chance to see how club teams from different continents, outside the popularity of European clubs, stack up against each other in a true world championship setting.
English Premier League (EPL) club Manchester City will go into this tournament as the defending champions, having won its first title in the last tournament under the old format in 2023.
Hosted in the United States, the 2025 edition also serves as a major warm-up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, allowing venues and infrastructure to be tested on a global stage.
The tournament will not only elevate the visibility of club football worldwide but also push smaller clubs from outside Europe into the spotlight, offering exposure, experience, and potentially transformative opportunities.
