Mohammed Abdulla Hassan Mohamed
Who was Mohammed Abdulla Hassan Mohamed?
FIFA-listed referee who has officiated matches in the UAE Pro League and AFC competitions since the early 2000s.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Mohammed Abdulla Hassan Mohamed (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Mohammed Abdulla Hassan Mohamed (Arabic: محمد عبد الله حسن محمد) was born on 2 December 1978 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He's a professional football referee with over twenty years of experience in both domestic and international competitions. His career growth in Emirati football aligns with the sport's growth in the Gulf region in recent decades.
Mohammed became a FIFA-listed international referee in 2010, which allowed him to officiate at top levels in Asian and global football. After gaining his FIFA status, he became a trusted referee for the Confederation of Asian Football, regularly officiating in the UAE Pro League and in AFC-organized continental competitions. His reliability and calm presence on the field led to repeated selections for major tournaments.
A major highlight of his career was in 2015 when he was chosen as one of the referees for the AFC Asian Cup in Australia. This tournament featured top national teams from Asia, requiring top-tier officials, and his participation showed the respect he earned from FIFA and AFC officials. Over the years, he continued to receive important assignments for high-profile matches due to his consistent performance.
In June 2022, Mohammed officiated the CONCACAF–OFC Intercontinental playoff match between Costa Rica and New Zealand, a crucial game that decided one of the final spots for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Officiating a World Cup qualification playoff is a significant responsibility outside the World Cup finals, and his selection for this match showed the trust FIFA had in him. The match, held at a neutral venue, was managed smoothly and without major issues.
He was further recognized when selected to referee in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, proving that even in his forties, Mohammed remains a top official in Asian football. His journey, starting with domestic UAE matches in the early 2000s and leading to major international roles, makes him one of the most experienced and acclaimed referees from the United Arab Emirates.
Before Fame
Mohammed Abdulla Hassan Mohamed grew up in Dubai when the United Arab Emirates was heavily investing in professional football infrastructure. The UAE Pro League, established in 1973, became more organized during the 1980s and 1990s, leading to a higher demand for trained professional referees. In this environment, Mohammed honed his officiating skills, moving up the local and national refereeing ranks before gaining wider attention.
His journey to the international level followed the usual path for referees in the region: starting with domestic league assignments, moving on to national cup matches, and then to continental competitions under AFC oversight. In the early 2000s, he gained steady experience in the UAE Pro League, building his technical knowledge and match management skills, which later qualified him for FIFA listing in 2010. The growth of football in the Gulf Cooperation Council states during this time provided ambitious referees like Mohammed opportunities that hadn't been available to earlier generations.
Key Achievements
- Awarded FIFA international referee status in 2010
- Selected as an official for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in Australia
- Officiated the CONCACAF–OFC Intercontinental playoff for the 2022 FIFA World Cup between Costa Rica and New Zealand
- Called up as a referee for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup
- Sustained over two decades of top-level officiating in the UAE Pro League and AFC competitions
Did You Know?
- 01.He officiated the CONCACAF–OFC intercontinental playoff in June 2022, one of the few Asian referees to oversee a direct World Cup qualification match between teams from two different confederations.
- 02.Mohammed received his FIFA international referee badge in 2010, meaning he waited until his early thirties before earning full international status, a reflection of the rigorous assessment process used by FIFA.
- 03.He was selected for two separate AFC Asian Cup tournaments, in 2015 and 2023, demonstrating a career longevity that is unusual for referees at the elite international level.
- 04.The 2022 World Cup playoff he oversaw, between Costa Rica and New Zealand, was played in Qatar and resulted in a Costa Rica victory that sent them to the World Cup finals on home soil shortly afterward.
- 05.Mohammed has officiated in AFC Champions League matches, exposing him to club football's top tier in Asia alongside his national team tournament assignments.
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