Ammon News - Jordanian international referee Adham Makhadmeh has earned widespread recognition for his officiating performance at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after receiving one of the highest ratings awarded to referees in the tournament's Round of 32.

Spanish refereeing analysis platform "Archivo VAR" awarded Makhadmeh a score of 8 out of 10 for his management of the England-Democratic Republic of the Congo match, ranking him among the top-performing referees at this stage of the competition.

The website described Makhadmeh's display as "very good," noting that he managed the match with confidence and authority while maintaining excellent positioning and staying consistently close to play, allowing him to control the proceedings and make accurate decisions throughout the encounter.

According to the analysis, the Jordanian official received one of the highest evaluations among all referees assigned to Round of 32 fixtures, outperforming several of his counterparts officiating matches in the same stage.

"Archivo VAR" also commended Makhadmeh's handling of the game's most significant refereeing incidents. It said he correctly rejected England's appeal for a penalty over an alleged handball inside the penalty area after determining that the play had been preceded by a foul that affected the players' balance, making the decision to allow play to continue technically sound.

The platform further praised his judgment in another key incident involving England captain Harry Kane, who appealed for a penalty following contact with the Democratic Republic of the Congo goalkeeper. The report concluded that the level of contact was insufficient to justify awarding a penalty, describing Makhadmeh's decision to continue play as the correct call. Petra