Nicaraguan World Cup Referee Tatiana Guzmán to Earn Up to $67,000 in 2026 Tournament

Nicaragua’s referee team, including VAR official Tatiana Guzmán and match official Henri Antonio Pupiro, are slated to work at the FIFA World Cup 2026. Based on FIFA’s payment structure, they could receive more than US$60,000, potentially reaching around US$67,000 when the base allowance and per‑match fees are combined.

A VAR official such as Guzmán receives a base payment of roughly US$25,000, with additional fees of about US$3,000 for each group‑stage match and up to US$10,000 for knockout‑stage encounters. Main referees in the tournament are reported to earn a base of about US$100,000, plus similar per‑match amounts. These figures represent a marked increase over previous World Cups and illustrate FIFA’s effort to reward the professionalism of its officials.

Guzmán was also honored in Nicaragua with the municipal Order of Athletic Excellence Alexis Argüello, recognizing her role as one of the few women from Central America to serve at the highest level of football officiating.