The man with the whistle when the United States takes on Australia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is Felix Zwayer.
And early in his refereeing career, Zwayer was banned for six months as part of a match-fixing scandal.
Certainly, that’s a jarring headline to read about any ref who is tasked with officiating a World Cup match.
The story has a lot of nuance to it, though.
Who is the USA-Australia ref?
Felix Zwayer is in charge of the USMNT matchup with the Socceroos on Friday at the World Cup.
He’s a 45-year old man who was born in West Berlin in West Germany.
He has been a FIFA-listed official since 2012.
Since 2009, he has worked in the German Bundesliga.
Felix Zwayer match-fixing scandal
Zwayer was an assistant referee in 2005 when he found himself caught up in a match-fixing scandal in the 2. Bundesliga (second division in Germany).
A head referee, Robert Hoyzer, took bribes to fix matches he was officiating.
Zwayer assisted him in a match and took a bribe of 300 Euros to avoid making certain calls.
He eventually became a whistle-blower, though, helping to expose Hoyzer’s match-fixing to the German federation.
They handed Zwayer a six-month ban, one that actually wasn’t made public until it was uncovered by the German media nearly a decade later.
It’s a known fact by at least some around German football. After a 2021 controversial on-field decision, then-Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham said after the match, “You give a referee that has match fixed before the biggest game in Germany, what do you expect?”
Zwayer’s biggest match to date is likely the 2025 Europa League Final between Tottenham and Manchester United.
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