Dutch referee Rob Dieperink dies at 38 after being removed from 2026 World Cup panel

Rob Dieperink, who was dropped from officiating at the 2026 FIFA World Cup following his arrest for the alleged sexual assault of a minor, has passed away at the age of 38.

Dutch soccer referee Rob Dieperink has died, the Royal Dutch Football Association announced. He was 38.

DUTCH football referee, Rob Dieperink, has died weeks after he was dropped from officiating at the World Cup following a police investigation in the UK. Dieperink had been selected to be a video assistant referee (VAR) official at this summer’s tournament, but was removed from FIFA’s list of World Cup officials in May. The 38-year-old […]

Dutch football referee Rob Dieperink has died weeks after he was removed from officiating at the World Cup following a police case in Britain that was later dropped.Dieperink was selected to be a VAR official at the FIFA World Cup 2026 but was removed from FIFA’s list of World Cup officials in May. His cause of death has not been disclosed. The Netherlands’ football association said they were “shocked and deeply saddened” by Dieperink’s death."We are shocked and deeply saddened by the passing of Rob Dieperink. With Rob’s passing, the football world has lost a highly regarded referee with international experience, but above all, we have lost a wonderful colleague."Our thoughts are with his family, friends and everyone who was dear to him. We wish them much strength and comfort as they come to terms with this great loss," the Dutch football association said in a statement. FIFA also expressed its condolences, ""On behalf of the entire football community, we extend our sincerest condolences to his family and friends and the Dutch Football Association. May he rest in peace," it said.The 38-year-old was arrested by the Metropolitan Police in April following a report of a sexual assault against a teenage boy, but the case was dropped because of a lack of evidence.After he was dropped by FIFA, Dieperink said he had been “wrongly accused” in an interview with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. Rob had been active as a referee in professional football since the 2011/12 season. He took charge of his first Eredivisie match at the end of 2017. In total, he refereed 284 matches in professional football.He also served as a VAR at international level. He was part of the refereeing team at the 2024 European Championship and the Olympic Games that same year. He was also regularly appointed to matches in European club competitions. During the 2024 Europa League final between Atalanta Bergamo and Bayer Leverkusen, Rob served as an assistant VAR. In December 2024, he was appointed as a VAR for the FIFA Intercontinental Cup in Qatar.(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

Dutch football referee Rob Dieperink has died at the young age of thirty-eight. He was recently removed from the FIFA World Cup 2026 officials list. Dieperink was arrested in Britain following an investigation which was later closed. The Netherlands football association and FIFA have expressed their deep sadness. Dieperink had a notable career, officiating many professional matches internationally.