The preparations for the 2018 FIFA World Cup are underway, and that includes prep for the match officials.
FIFA announced 36 officials from around the world who were invited to a refereeing seminar in Abu Dhabi this week ahead of next summer's World Cup in Russia. Included in that group are two referees familiar to MLS watchers, in Jair Marrufo (pictured above) and Mark Geiger. The United States is the only country with two officials at the seminar.
Both Geiger and Marrufo worked at the 2017 Confederations Cup this year as match officials, and Geiger worked at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil as an official. Geiger was MLS Referee of the Year in 2011 and 2014, while Marrufo won the honor in 2008.
The FIFA seminar does not necessarily guarantee the officials will be brought to the World Cup next summer, although the officials who will go to Russia will likely be part of the seminar.
