Dutch Referee Dropped from World Cup VAR List Dies at 38; Cause of Death Not Disclosed

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Dutch football referee Rob Dieperink, who had been excluded from the video assistant referee (VAR) list for the 2026 North American World Cup, has passed away at the age of 38. The exact cause of his death was not released.

On July 14, Yonhap News cited an announcement by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) confirming the passing of referee Dieperink. The KNVB stated, "With Dieperink's passing, the football community has lost a valuable referee with international experience, and above all, we have lost a wonderful colleague. We offer our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and all who cherished him."

Rob Dieperink, a Dutch football referee who had been excluded from the 2026 North and Central America World Cup Video Assistant Referee (VAR) list, has passed away at the age of 38. KNVB SNS

Major foreign media outlets including Reuters, the UK Guardian, and Australia’s ABC also reported on Dieperink’s death. The reports noted that although he was initially selected as a VAR referee for the North American World Cup, he was dropped from the list in May. On April 9, Dieperink was arrested by local police at a hotel in Croydon, south London, on suspicion of sexually assaulting a teenage boy. He had been staying in London to serve as the VAR official for a UEFA Conference League match between Crystal Palace and Fiorentina.

The British police later secured closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage and examined digital devices, but concluded that the evidence did not meet the threshold required for prosecution. With no further action taken, the case was closed. However, despite the case being dropped, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) excluded Dieperink from the World Cup officiating team. When the allegations first surfaced in April, FIFA announced, "The relevant match official will not be assigned to tournaments organized by FIFA."

In an interview with the Dutch outlet De Telegraaf in May, Dieperink expressed his sorrow over having been wrongly accused, saying, "It is deeply sad to be accused unjustly." He added, "From the very beginning, I fully cooperated with the police investigation and immediately disclosed everything to FIFA, UEFA, and the KNVB." He went on to say, "I am grateful for the support and the way the KNVB handled the situation. However, it is regrettable and of course disappointing that FIFA decided not to assign me to the World Cup."

Dieperink had been active as a professional football referee in the Netherlands since the 2011–2012 season. He officiated his first match as a head referee in the Eredivisie in 2017 and managed a total of 284 professional matches over his career. Internationally, he was recognized as a specialist VAR referee. He was selected for the referee panels at UEFA Euro 2024 and the 2024 Paris Olympics, and served as assistant VAR at the 2024 UEFA Europa League final between Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen. In December of the same year, he also worked as a VAR at the FIFA Intercontinental Cup in Qatar. Reports indicate that Dieperink was on the pitch just two days before news of his death was announced, serving as the referee for a pre-season friendly between Go Ahead Eagles and Cypriot club Apollon. However, both the KNVB and his family have not disclosed the specific circumstances or the cause of his death.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.