FIFA name 11-member panel for 2026 World Cup

Global football governing body, FIFA have announced an 11-member Technical Study Group for the 2026 World Cup, with former players and coaches set to analyse matches and decide the winners of major individual awards during the tournament

The panel was unveiled on Monday during a virtual media briefing monitored by The Nation ahead of the competition, which begins next month at Estadio Azteca.

The group will be led by FIFA Senior Football Expert Pascal Zuberbühler and includes former Manchester City defender Pablo Zabaleta, ex-Germany striker and coach Jürgen Klinsmann, Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill, former Ghana coach Otto Addo, Costa Rica legend Paulo Wanchope and Brazilian World Cup winner Gilberto Silva.

Others on the panel are Tobin Heath, Jon Dahl Tomasson, Jayne Ludlow and Aron Winter. FIFA said the group will also decide the winners of the Golden Ball, Golden Glove and Best Young Player awards during the tournament.

The 2026 World Cup will feature 48 teams for the first time, with 104 matches scheduled across the competition. “The TSG captures the heartbeat of global football.

“By blending expert observation with cutting-edge data, this team will provide the official record of how football is played at the highest level in 2026,” a FIFA spokesperson said.