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| Full name | Muhammad Taqi Al-Jaafari bin Jahari | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1986-10-25)25 October 1986 (age 39) Singapore | ||
| Domestic | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 2006– | Singapore Premier League | Referee | |
| 2013, 2017, 2019, 2024– | Chinese Super League | Referee | |
| 2016, 2018, 2020 | Indian Super League | Referee | |
| 2025– | Indonesian Super League | Referee | |
| 2025– | UAE Pro League | Referee | |
| International | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 2012– | FIFA listed | Referee | |
Muhammad Taqi Al-Jaafari bin Jahari (born 25 October 1986) is a Singaporean internationalfootballreferee.[1] He has been aFIFA listed referee since 2012,[2] and has also refereed a number ofAFC Champions League matches. He has also won the2014 S.League Referee of the Year and theAFF Referee of the Year in 2017.
Taqi refereed the matches in the2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup, the2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, the2018 AFC U-23 Championship, the2019 AFC Asian Cup, the2020 AFC U-23 Championship and the2023 AFC Asian Cup. He has also officiated in the finals of the2012,2014, and2019 Singapore Cup Final, the2019 Indian Super League final, the2019 J.League Cup / Copa Sudamericana Championship, the2019 EAFF E-1 Football Championship, as well as matches in theChinese Super League,Indian Super League,Indonesia Super League, and theIndonesia President's Cup.
Taqi was selected as aVideo Assistant Referee at the2022 FIFA World Cup and the2023 FIFA Women's World Cup becoming the first Singaporean to officiate at both the men's and women's World Cup tournaments. He also was selected as the assistant VAR referee in the2020 Olympic football final betweenBrazil andSpain.
Taqi is the fifth Singaporean referee to officiate at theFIFA World Cup afterGeorge Suppiah (1974),Shamsul Maidin (2006), K. Visvanathan (2002) and Jeffrey Goh (2010).
Taqi's road to the pinnacle of football refereeing began when he accompanied his friends who had fathers and uncles as a match officials where it prompt him to take his first refereeing course at 15-year-old at theold National Stadium.
Taqi underwent a football trials withClementi Khalsa back in the days but things didn't quite work out for him being an actual footballer so he quickly developed a curiosity and understanding for the Laws of the Game, and was actively involved as a Class 3 referee after he completed hisO-levels. When he was 19, he was promoted to a Class 2 referee to officiate in the Prime League matches, before stepping up as a Class 1 referee the same year to be involved inS.League (now known asSingapore Premier League) matches.
Taqi started his referee career in 2006 where on 27 April 2006, he officiate his first match in the2006 S.League contested betweenGeylang United andBalestier Khalsa. Taqi became a FIFA-listed referee in 2012.[3]
In February 2014, Taqi had a double in his career where he refereed the2014 Singapore Charity Shield and the2014 Singapore Cup Final. In the opening ceremony at the newSingapore National Stadium, Taqi refereed the first match on 16 August 2014 between Italian giants, Juventus andSingapore Selection which saw Juventus winning the match 5–0. In the same year, he was also awarded with S.League Referee of the Year.
In January 2015, Taqi was sent to Australia for being one of the support referees for the2015 AFC Asian Cup in January with his assistant, Jeffrey Goh. In July 2015, he refereed in the2015 Premier League Asia Trophy betweenStoke City andSingapore Selection where Stoke City won 2–0.
In May 2017, Taqi was avideo assistant referee (VAR) for the2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup In South Korea.[3] On 25 July 2017, he officiated the2017 International Champions Cup match in Singapore between English championsChelsea and German championsBayern Munich. Bayern won the match 3–2. In October 2017,
Taqi was sent to India to officiate 2 group stage matches in the2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup. On 26 November 2017, Taqi officiated the2017 Singapore Cup Final betweenAlbirex Niigata (S) andGlobal Cebu. Taqi was named 2017 AFF Referee of the Year.[4]
On 30 July 2018, Taqi officiated the2018 International Champions Cup match betweenParis Saint-Germain andAtletico Madrid at the Singapore National Stadium in which PSG won the match 3–2.
In January 2019, Taqi was selected by AFC for the2019 AFC Asian Cup held in the UAE to officiate some matches. He was sent to Poland to officiate some matches for the2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup where he was the tournament match opening referee betweenTahiti andSenegal on 23 May 2019 and on 30 May 2019, he also saw the tournament biggest ever win of 12–0 betweenNorway andHonduras whereErling Haaland scored nine goals in the match. On 7 August 2019, Taqi officiated in the2019 J.League Cup / Copa Sudamericana Championship betweenShonan Bellmare andAthletico Paranaense. During theBrazil Global Tour in Singapore. Taqi officiate the match betweenBrazil andSenegal on 10 October 2019.
In 2021, Taqi was Singapore's first FIFA video assistant referee (VAR) and officiated at the2020 Summer Olympics held at Japan being the assistant VAR in themen's football final betweenBrazil andSpain.[3][5]
On 15 July 2022, Taqi officiated the match between both English Premier League clubs,Liverpool andCrystal Palace at the Singapore National Stadium.
Taqi was also selected to officiate as a VAR for the2022 FIFA World Cup[3] and the2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, making him the first Singaporean to officiate at both the men's and women's World Cup tournaments.[6]
On 14 September 2023, the AFC announced that Taqi and 32 other referees were selected as referees for the2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar. On 14 January 2024, he was selected to officiate a match betweenUAE andHong Kong which UAE won the match 3–1. Taqi also saw Hong Kong midfielderChan Siu Kwan who scored the 1,000th goal in theAFC Asian Cup history.
On 13 February 2024, Taqi was selected to officiate the opening2023–24 AFC Champions League Round of 16 match betweenShandong Taishan andKawasaki Frontale.
Taqi was selected to officiate a match in the2024–25 AFC Champions League Elite fixtures between Thailand clubBuriram United and Japanese clubVissel Kobe on 17 September 2024 and also between Chinese clubShanghai Shenghua and Japanese clubKawasaki Frontale on 23 October 2024. Taqi was then selected to officiate the group stage fixture in the west region of the tournament between Emirati clubAl Wasl and Qatari clubAl Rayyan on 2 December.
In February 2025, Taqi was selected byLiga Indonesia Baru to officiate four matches inLiga 1. He officiate a league match on 21 February betweenDewa United andPersebaya Surabaya, on 24 February betweenArema andPSIS Semarang, on 11 April betweenBorneo Samarinda andPersib Bandung and than on 17 April betweenPSS Sleman and Dewa United.
On 31 May 2025, Taqi was selected to officiate the 2025 Singapore Cup final betweenTampines Rovers andLion City Sailors.
In July 2025, Taqi was appointed to officiate an international friendly match in the2025 Indonesia President's Cup between English clubOxford United and theLiga Indonesia All Star team. The match was held at theGelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on 6 July 2025 as part of the tournament's international showcase event.
In August 2025, Taqi was selected to officiate two matches in theChinese Super League. He officiate a league match on 9 August in theShanghai derby between Shanghai Shenghua andShanghai Port where he also officiate on 30 August betweenChengdu Rongcheng and Shanghai Port.
On 20 September 2025, Taqi was selected to officiate a match in theUAE Pro League betweenAl Nasr andShabab Al Ahli.
Taqi is married and has two sons and a daughter.[3]
Taqi also received aBachelor of Science (BSc) degree whilst studying at theUniversity of London in 2009.
| 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup – India | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Match | Location | Venue | Round |
| 9 October 2017 |  Turkey – Mali | Navi Mumbai | Dr. DY Patil Stadium | Group stage |
| 14 October 2017 |  France – Honduras | Guwahati | Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium | Group stage |
| 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup – Poland | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Match | Location | Venue | Round |
| 23 May 2019 |  Tahiti – Senegal | Lublin | Lublin Stadium | Group stage |
| 30 May 2019 |  Norway – Honduras | Lublin | Lublin Stadium | Group stage |
| 2022 FIFA World Cup – Qatar | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Match | Location | Venue | Round |
| 23 November 2022 |  Spain – Costa Rica | Doha | Al Thumama Stadium | Group stage |
| 24 November 2022 |  Brazil – Serbia | Lusail | Lusail Stadium | Group stage |
| 25 November 2022 |  Netherlands – Ecuador | Al Rayyan | Khalifa International Stadium | Group stage |
| 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup – Australia/New Zealand | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Match | Location | Venue | Round |
| 24 July 2023 |  Germany – Morocco | Melbourne | Melbourne Rectangular Stadium | Group stage |
| 26 July 2023 | Spain – Zambia | Auckland | Eden Park | Group stage |
| 1 August 2023 |  Haiti – Denmark | Perth | Perth Rectangular Stadium | Group stage |
| 3 August 2023 |  South Korea – Germany | Brisbane | Lang Park | Group stage |
| 8 August 2023 | France – Morocco | Adelaide | Hindmarsh Stadium | Round of 16 |
| 2019 AFC Asian Cup – United Arab Emirates | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Match | Location | Venue | Round |
| 12 January 2019 |  Vietnam – Iran | Abu Dhabi | Al Nahyan Stadium | Group stage |
| 22 January 2019 |  Qatar – Iraq | Abu Dhabi | Al Nahyan Stadium | Round of 16 |
| 2018 AFC U-23 Championship – China | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Match | Location | Venue | Round |
| 12 January 2018 |  Uzbekistan – China | Changzhou | Changzhou Olympic Sports Centre | Group stage |
| 23 January 2018 | Qatar – Vietnam | Changzhou | Changzhou Olympic Sports Centre, | Semi-finals |
| 2020 AFC U-23 Championship – Thailand | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Match | Location | Venue | Round |
| 10 January 2020 | Vietnam – United Arab Emirates | Buriram | Buriram Stadium | Group stage |
| 15 January 2020 | Qatar – Japan | Bangkok | Rajamangala Stadium, | Group stage |
| 2023 AFC Asian Cup – Qatar | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Match | Location | Venue | Round |
| 14 January 2024 | United Arab Emirates – Hong Kong | Al Rayyan | Khalifa International Stadium | Group stage |
| Tournaments | Contester | Years | Matches |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIFA U-17 World Cup | FIFA | 2017 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| FIFA U-20 World Cup | 2019 | 2 | 8 | 1 | |
| FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) | 2015– | 12 | 37 | 0 | |
| International Friendlies | 2016– | 10 | 36 | 0 | |
| AFC Asian Cup | AFC | 2019,2023 | 3 | 11 | 0 |
| AFC U-23 Championship | 2018,2020 | 4 | 18 | 1 | |
| AFC U-23 Championship qualification | 2020 | 1 | 5 | 0 | |
| AFC Challenge Cup qualification | 2014 | 2 | 6 | 0 | |
| AFC Champions League | 2014– | 37 | 141 | 0 | |
| AFC Champions League qualification | 2015– | 4 | 12 | 0 | |
| EAFF E-1 Football Championship | EAFF | 2019 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| J.League Cup / Copa Sudamericana Championship | CONMEBOL –JFA | 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
 Singapore Premier League | FAS | 2006– | 222 | 932 | 20 |
| Singapore Cup | 2008– | 31 | 137 | 2 | |
| Singapore League Cup | 2012–2017 | 16 | 47 | 1 | |
| Chinese Super League | CFA | 2013–2019 | 6 | 20 | 0 |
| Chinese FA Cup | 2019 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
| China League Two play-offs | 2018 | 1 | 5 | 0 | |
 Indian Super League | AIFF | 2016–2020 | 11 | 43 | 1 |
| Indian Super League play-offs | 2019–2020 | 2 | 11 | 1 | |
 Super League | I-League | 2025– | 4 | 18 | 0 |
| Indonesia President's Cup | PSSI | 2025 | 1 | ? | ? |
| UAE Pro League | UAE Pro League Committee | 2025– | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| Totals | 2006– | 386 | 1,550 | 27 | |
| Matches as referee are correct as of 6 July 2025 | |||||
