Meghalaya referee Riiohlang Dhar named on FIFA international panel for 2026

Meghalaya’s Riiohlang Dhar has been selected once again for the FIFA Refereeing International List for 2026, reaffirming her place among the country’s top match officials.

The selection was communicated by the All India Football Federation Referee Department to the Meghalaya Football Association on December 31.

A FIFA-level assistant referee, Dhar has officiated at several international tournaments and remains one of the most experienced officials from India on the global stage.

She made history in 2024 by becoming only the second Indian match official to be appointed at a World Cup, serving at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic. The same year, she was also officiating at the AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup in Indonesia.

Dhar, who is a serving policewoman with the Meghalaya Police, was recognised by the AIFF as the Female Assistant Referee of the Year for the 2024–25 season in May 2025.

Her contributions were also acknowledged at home in December, when she was among around 40 individuals honoured at a Meghalaya Football Association awards ceremony held to mark the start of the association’s 50th anniversary celebrations.