'Pressure is intense and scrutiny constant' - referee Taylor retires

Anthony Taylor's last Premier League game was the fixture between West Ham United and Leeds United on 24 May

>Referee Anthony Taylor has announced his retirement with immediate effect, highlighting the impact of the "intense" pressure of the role.

>Taylor, 47, enjoyed a 20-year career spanning 831 matches, with his final game being Spain's 1-0 win over Portugal in the World Cup last 16 on 6 July.

>A prison officer before becoming a professional referee, he was first added to the Football League list at the start of the 2006-07 season.

>Promotion to the Premier League followed in 2010, where he took charge of 432 top-flight matches and officiated every major domestic cup final.

>In total, he officiated 668 matches in the professional game in England.

>"Officiating at the elite level has been an immense privilege, but the pressure is intense and the scrutiny is constant," Taylor said.

>"The time is now right to step aside and look forward to transitioning to the next chapter of my career."

>The Wythenshawe-born referee, who had been on Fifa's list of officials for 14 years, was also selected for the 2022 World Cup, and the Euros in 2020 and 2024.

>In total, he officiated 163 international matches.

>Taylor was shortlisted to referee the 2022 World Cup final, but was discounted because of political tensions between England and finalists Argentina.

>Howard Webb, chief refereeing officer at Pro Ref, said: "Anthony has been a fantastic servant to the game over many years, both domestically and on the international stage.

>"He has been repeatedly trusted to officiate in the biggest games.

>"We thank him for his immense contribution to the game and wish him every success in the next chapter of his career."

>My family no longer attend matches due to abuse - Anthony Taylor speaks to BBC's Dan Roan in October 2025

>Taylor refereed the 2015 EFL Cup final, with Chelsea beating Tottenham Hotspur 2–0.

>In 2020, he became the first referee since 1901 to take charge of two FA Cup finals when Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1.

>Taylor previously took charge of the 2017 FA Cup final, also a 2-1 win for Arsenal against Chelsea.

>He also refereed the Community Shield in 2015 and the 2018 Championship play-off final.

>Taylor received praise for the way he handed the Euro 2020 game between Denmark and Finland, which had to be halted when Christian Eriksen collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest.

>He has also been appointed to several high-profile Uefa matches, including the 2020 Super Cup final, with Bayern Munich beating Sevilla 2-1, the 2021 Nations League final, in which France beat Spain 2-1, and the 2023 Europa League final which saw Sevilla beat Roma on penalties.

>Taylor faced a great deal of abuse after the Europa League final, but was firmly backed by Uefa referees' chief Roberto Rosetti.

>Roma boss Jose Mourinho called Taylor a "disgrace" twice in a post-match news conference before confronting him in a car park - an incident the Portuguese was given a four-match ban for.

>Taylor was then shouted at by angry fans as he walked though Budapest Airport with his family.

>In October 2025, Taylor spoke to BBC Sport about the impact of that night and the events that followed.

>"That's the worst situation I've dealt with in terms of abuse," Taylor said.

>"Not only because I was travelling with family members at the time, but it also highlights the impact of people's behaviour on others. Even in a match like that, where there was actually no major mistakes in the game."

>Taylor, who also took charge of games at the Fifa Club World Cup in 2022 and 2025, hinted in last October's interview that his career could be coming to an end.

>"I'm 47 next week, so that's quite old for somebody to be operating at this level, running around after people a lot younger than you," Taylor said.

>"It's much more of a challenge now to maintain the levels of fitness and to rest and recover."

>His retirement creates a gap at the top of refereeing in the English game.

>Refereeing body Pro Ref, formerly known as PGMO, has merged its officials into one group for the 2026-27 season.

>The creation of the professional referee group, which will service the Premier League and Championship, is intended to give greater opportunities to up-and-coming officials, such as Farai Hallam and Tom Kirk.

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