We work as a team at every tournament

With the WMF World Cup 2025 fast approaching, the role of referees remains crucial in ensuring fair play and upholding the integrity of the game. One of the most experienced officials in minifootball, István Mod, has officiated at some of the sport's biggest tournaments, including the WMF World Cup 2023 and multiple EMF competitions. His journey through international minifootball has seen him take charge of major finals, earning recognition as one of the top referees in the sport.

You are one of the referees who experienced WMF WC 2023. How do you rate this tournament from the quality of players, referees, and overall organization?

Yes, I had the honour to referee the previous minifootball World Cup in Ras Al Khaimah. It was a fantastic event with a 5-star professional organisation. What helped our work a lot was the VAR system used for the first time in the history of minifootball. I thought it worked very well, and so we had a first class technical background provided by the organisers.

You started your journey in the EMF & WMF in 2022 at the European Championship in Košice. How did you feel about your first tournament and what progress do you see as time flies?

The first international event in my career was the European Championship in Košice. I think it was one of the best organised events! Everything was absolutely perfect, the competitions were held at the Steel Arena in Košice. Personally, I enjoyed every moment of the EMF EURO 2022, and I got to meet a lot of new people (players, team managers, referees). After this event I had the thought... "Yes, I want to be part of this community!"

In 2024 you refereed on such events as EMF EURO, EMF Champions League, WMF WC U23 & Women, and EMF Business Cup. In all of these tournaments, you were appointed to the final. How does this feel?

If I could succinctly describe my 2024 in terms of game management, I think the words "amazing" and "incredible" would be the best. Yes, it was a great honour for me to be a referee at all of these events. However, we must not forget that we always work with 10-15 excellent referees as a team at a tournament like this, without whose support this would not be possible!!!

How do you rate the overall quality of the referees in the WMF and EMF?

As I mentioned before, we work as a team at every tournament. It needs to be recognised that everyone in this community has a family and a job at home. There are always mistakes and there will be mistakes as we are human beings, but I can say on behalf of myself and my colleagues that everyone strives for professionalism! We have the maximum support from the EMF to do this.

What do you expect from the WMF WC 2025?

Very good, enjoyable games with very few refereeing mistakes. Azerbaijanis really like minifootball so I am confident that the games will be watched by many spectators at the venue!

As minifootball continues to grow globally, the importance of high-quality refereeing cannot be understated. Officials like István Mod play a key role in maintaining the game's credibility, ensuring that the WMF and EMF competitions remain exciting and fair for players and fans alike. With the excitement building for the upcoming tournament in Baku, one thing is certain: referees like István Mod will continue to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of minifootball.