Kim Woo-Sung is the name of the referee of the India vs Qatar football match
The second-round qualifier match of FIFA World Cup 2026 was held between India and Qatar, wherein team India suffered a cruel defeat 2-1 causing a debate on the controversial goal.
For the unfamiliar, after Lallianzuala Chhangte gave India an ecstatic lead in the 37th minute, Qatar, the Asian Champions, entered the tunnel trailing for the first time in the competition.
Who is South Korean Kim Woo-Sung name of referee of India vs Qatar football match, biography, age, nationality and career
Sorry, what is going on in Asian World Cup qualifiers??? This is cruel for India man wtf https://t.co/8zoKGeg0ae
— 𝗙𝗜𝗔𝗚𝗢 (@fiago7) June 11, 2024
What Exactly Happened?
However, the second half saw Yousef Aymen equalize for his side in the 73rd minute most controversially and bizarrely.
The ball leading to Aymen’s goal had traveled out of bounds before being rolled into the net, leaving members of Team India visibly frustrated.
The second half of the game continued with clear-cut decisions in India’s favor causing confusion and frustration among the team.
The multiple erroneous calls by on-field referee Kim Woo-Sung, along with linesmen Kang Dong Ho and Cheon Jin Hee, could easily be blamed by Indian football fans for disrupting the rhythm of Stimac’s side.
This is blatant cheating and freaking disgrace!!! WTF. Shame on Qatar and the referee #QATIND #IndianFootball
— 𓆩𝕏s𝖍𝖚𝖇𝖍𓆪 (@xhubhh) June 11, 2024
With no Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system in place for the second round of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, the goal stood, despite vivid, animated, and justified protests from the Indian players.
Despite the Indian players’ appeals to the referee to reconsider, the officials, including the referee, linesmen, and match officials, upheld their decision to award the goal to Qatar.
Identity of the Referee
The referee for the match is identified as Kim Woo-Sung from South Korea, who had previously officiated the World Cup qualification match between Hong Kong and Uzbekistan in March this year.
Woo-Sung regularly referees in the K-League, the top division of men’s football in South Korea, and has officiated group-stage matches in the AFC Cup and its qualifying playoffs.
About Kim Woo-Sung
For the curious, Kim Woo-Sung is a widely recognized South Korean football referee. He was born in Busan, South Korea on May 28, 1987. The 37-year-old professional referee has refereed internationally on number a of occasions.
Kim Woo Sung is the name of the referee @President_KR do you endorse such cheating and corruption from your people. Well looks like we have cheaters faces all over India now. #FIFAWWC #FIFA #Qatar #QatarFootball @QFA_EN pic.twitter.com/MfmSpJmsvU
— NoOne (@shubh_s2k3) June 11, 2024
He refereed in the ASEAN Football Championship as well as in the Kor Royal Cup and FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Apart from that, he is also known for refereeing at the K-League.
Speaking about the qualifiers game, the match delegate team consisted of 6 members, predominantly from South Korea, with half of them hailing from the country. The other members were from Kyrgyz Republic, Syria, and Iran.
Other Match Officials
The other match officials were as follows:
Referee: Kim Woo-Sung (KOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Kang Dong Ho (KOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Cheon Jin Hee (KOR)
Fourth Official: Abdyldaev Daiyrbek (KGZ)
Match Commissioner: Hamed Momeni (IRN)
Referee Assessor: Basel Al Hajjar (SYR)
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