Frank de Bleeckere won Belgian Referee of the Year seven times. From 2000-2013, he did it. From 1998 to 2012, he was a FIFA-affiliated referee.
On 24 March 2001, he made his international debut against Ireland in a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier. Bleeckere continued refereeing internationally.
Oscar Ruiz Acosta retired as Colombia's best referee. 1995-2011: He was a FIFA referee. Acosta now teaches FIFA referees. His international debut was 12 July 1995 against Venezuela. From 2002 to 2010, he officiated three consecutive world cups.
Pedro Proença is the best modern referee. International football referee. First referee to officiate UEFA Champions League and UEFA European Championship finals in same year. Proenca became FIFA-affiliated in 2003 and UEFA Elite in 2009. He was named Portugal's Best Referee in 2007 and 2011.
Michel Vautrot is one of France's best football referees. At the 1990 World Cup, he made a hilarious decision. He added 8 minutes to Italy-semifinal. Argentina's He later said he didn't check his watch. He refereed in 1982 and 1990. He officiated the 1983 FIFA Club World Cup final in Tokyo.
Peter Mikkelsen was a pioneer of Danish refereeing. During his prime, he was a FIFA referee. Mikkelsen officiated two 1990 FIFA World Cup matches at age 30. He refereed three matches at the 1994 World Cup in the USA. Mikkelsen also refereed the 1992 and 1996 UEFA European Football Championships.
Sandor Puhl is widely considered one of the best referees in soccer history, but he is a highly criticized figure in Spain due to his negligence at the 1994 World Cup quarter-final between Italy and Spain, where Mauro Tassotti elbowed Luis Enrique in the face during injury time, breaking Enrique's nose.FIFA suspended him for eight international matches for not issuing a penalty or card in that match.
Kim Milton Nielsen was taller than most international football players at 6 feet 6 inches. He officiated 154 internationals and 53 Champions League games. At 28, he became a FIFA referee. He retired on May 16, 2006, at the UEFA-mandated age of 45.
Howard Webb recently retired from refereeing to become PGMOB's Technical Director. Since 2003, he's been a FIFA-listed Premier League referee. In 2010, he officiated the UEFA Champions League Final and FIFA World Cup Final.
Markus Merk is considered the best referee of his time and officiated the most Bundesliga matches. He won FIFA's "Best Referee of the Year" three times and the DFB German award six times. In 1988, at age 25, he became the Bundesliga's youngest referee. Merk refereed 1992 Olympic football in Barcelona.
Pierluigi Collina was a FIFA referee from 1995 to 2005. He was named FIFA's "Best Referee of the Year" a record six times and is considered the best in football history. Collina is a UEFA Referees Committee member and Chief of the Ukrainian Football Federation since July 5, 2010. In 1977, he convinced his referee's course.