Dutch referee Danny Makkelie’s World Cup duties end, VAR Dennis Higler stays on

Referee Danny Makkelie and his assistants Hessel Steegstra and Jan de Vries will not officiate any of the final four matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Makkelie refereed three games – the group‑stage fixtures United States vs Paraguay and Morocco vs Haiti and the knockout round France vs Sweden – and served as fourth official in Canada vs Morocco. He said, “We look back with a lot of pride and a good feeling on our performances.” The Dutch football association (KNVB) added, “Danny, Hessel and Jan have represented the Netherlands excellently.”

Dennis Higler remains on the tournament’s officiating crew as a video‑assistant referee for the remaining matches, though his specific assignment has not yet been announced. The KNVB called his continued presence “a nice recognition” of the Dutch VAR team’s contribution.