IFFHS MEN'S WORLD BEST REFEREE RANKING (1987-2022)
IFFHS ALL TIME RANKING OF THE WORLD’S BEST REFEREE (1987-2022)
The IFFHS has devised an equitable method for determining the ranking of THE ALL TIME WORLD’S BEST REFEREE. It has taken in consideration the TOP 20 of each yearly ranking of the category concerned and allocated points to each place. So the first placed received 20 points, the second placed 19 points, the third placed 18 points …. And 1 point for the twentieth place. If the annual ranking comprised fewer than 20, no point will be awarded for the unoccupied places. Adding the points from the individual years of the category provides an IFFHS ALL TIME WORLD’S BEST REFEREE Ranking from 1987 to 2022 (the list of the winners of all annual IFFHS Awards of THE WORLD’S BEST REFEREE is to find in the column GALA AWARDS).
PIERLUIGI COLLINA LEADER
Italy’s Legend Referee Pierluigi Collina, winner of the annual IFFHS Award of THE WORLD’S BEST REFEREE six years in a row (1998 to 2003), leads the All Time Ranking with 191 points, 7 more than German Markus Merk (3 annual Awards) and the second German Felix Brych at the third place with 161 points (2 annual Awards and the Decade 2011-2020 Award).
The Top 31 is composed of 27 Referees from UEFA and 4 from CONMEBOL. Italy with 4 referees leads before Germany and England (3 referees each). Pierluigi Collina is the best ranked of UEFA, Colombian Oscar Ruiz in the Top 10 is the best of CONMEBOL, Arturo Brizio Carter the best of CONCACAF and Ravshan Irmatov the best of AFC.
If Collina holds the record for the most annual Awards (6), Hungarian Sandor Puhl, ranked at the 11th place of the All Time Ranking, has won 4 consecutive Awards (1994 to 1997) , one more than German Markus Merk, who won also the IFFHS Decade Award (2001-2010). Felix Brych won the second IFFHS Decade Award (2011-2020) and two Awards (2017 and 2021).
IFFHS ALL TIME RANKING OF THE WORLD’S BEST REFEREE (1987-2022)
| Place | Name | Country | Points |
| 1 | Pierluigi COLLINA | Italy | 191 |
| 2 | Markus MERK | Germany | 184 |
| 3 | Felix BRYCH | Germany | 161 |
| 4 | Kim Milton NIELSEN | Denmark | 159 |
| 5 | Howard WEBB | England | 156 |
| 6 | Björn KUIPERS | Netherlands | 152 |
| 7 | Peter MIKKELSEN | Denmark | 142 |
| 8 | Cuneyt CAKIR | Turkey | 140 |
| 9 | Oscar RUIZ | Colombia | 132 |
| 10 | Nicola RIZZOLI | Italy | 121 |
| 11 | Sandor PUHL | Hungary | 119 |
| 12 | Jorge LARRIONDA | Uruguay | 108 |
| 13 | Urs MEIER | Switzerland | 102 |
| 14 | Anders FRISK | Sweden | 100 |
| 15 | Frank DE BLEECKERE | Belgium | 98 |
| 16 | Pierluigi PAIRETTO | Italy | 97 |
| 17 | Massimo BUSACCA | Switzerland | 96 |
| 17 | Helmut KRUG | Germany | 96 |
| 17 | Lubos MICHEL | Slovakia | 96 |
| 20 | Juan Carlos LOUSTAU | Argentina | 93 |
| 21 | Roberto ROSETTI | Italy | 91 |
| 22 | Nestor PITANA | Argentina | 88 |
| 23 | Graham POLL | England | 82 |
| 23 | Joel QUINIOU | France | 82 |
| 25 | Viktor KASSAI | Hungary | 81 |
| 25 | Ravshan IRMATOV | Uzbekistan | 81 |
| 27 | Martin ATKINSON | England | 80 |
| 28 | Hugh DALLAS | Scotland | 78 |
| 29 | Damir SKOMINA | Slovenia | 76 |
| 29 | Mario VAN DER ENDE | Netherlands | 76 |
| 29 | Michel VAUTROT | France | 76 |