Credit: Imago

Jack Dawson

Thu 9 April 2026 18:19, UK

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Keith Hackett has heaped praise on Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor after they were selected for the 2026 World Cup.

The duo have been picked as England’s on-field referees for the summer tournament after their success in the Premier League.

They will are of a 52-man list of on-field officials, and will also be joined by 88 assistant referees and 30 video assistant referees.

Overall, the Premier League will have seven representatives, with Gary Beswick, Stuart Burt, James Mainwaring and Adam Nunn being selected in the assistant referee list, while Jarred Gillett was selected to cover VAR.

Now, Hackett has praised their dedication after they reached the upcoming 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada.

Keith Hackett praises Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor after 2026 World Cup selection

For both Oliver and Taylor, it will be their second-ever World Cups.

The duo both officiated in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Oliver took charge of three matches in the tournament, while Taylor did two games.

Now, their work in the Premier League has clearly stood out after their selection for the 2026 World Cup.

As a result, Hackett praised the duo when discussing the decision exclusively with Football Insider.

He said: “This is years of dedication to reach the selection of being one of the 52 referees selected for the World tournament.

“England’s two best referees will be represented.”

Can Oliver and Taylor perform at the World Cup?

So far this season, despite some glaring mistakes, Hackett has continued to praise Oliver when speaking exclusively to Football Insider.

This occurred recently, when Oliver took charge of Real Madrid’s tie against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday, despite numerous errors in Liverpool’s defeat against Manchester City in the World Cup.

🚨💣𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐌𝐄𝐃: These are the UEFA referees selected for the 2026 World Cup. 🤝✅

— François Letexier
— Clément Turpin
— Felix Zwayer
— Michael Oliver
— Anthony Taylor
— Alejandro Hernández
— Maurizio Mariani
— Danny Makkelie
— Espen Eskås
— Szymon… pic.twitter.com/0a3H2ic75j

— Topskills Sports UK (@topskillsportuk) April 9, 2026

However, the pressure will be massive at the World Cup, especially with the quality of English referees being questioned in recent years.

The challenge for Oliver and Taylor will be to ensure that mistakes will be at a minimum and they ensure that they go unnoticed throughout the game.

If they can achieve this, it will no doubt be a successful tournament for the duo as they look to showcase their skills as referees.

Hopefully, the duo can pull this off and come away from the World Cup with their heads held high.