Who is Szymon Marciniak, the referee for the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup final?

Poland’s Szymon Marciniak will referee today’s 2023 FIFA Club World Cup final, as England’s Manchester City and Brazil’s Fluminense both chase their first ever global title.

City, who qualified for the Club World Cup after winning their maiden UEFA Champions League crown in June, reached the final in Jeddah by beating Japan’s Urawa Reds in the semi-finals.

Meanwhile, Fluminense defeated Egypt’s Al Ahly in the last four, in a Game also refereed by Marciniak. The Brazilians had booked their ticket to Saudi Arabia by lifting their first Copa Libertadores in November.

Who is Szymon Marciniak?

Marciniak appears to be the top-rated referee in men’s soccer right now. The 42-year-old has been handed the Club World Cup’s showpiece clash after a 2022/23 season in which he was appointed to the two most prestigious matches in the men’s game.

In December last year, he oversaw Argentina’s penalty shootout victory over France in the 2022 men’s World Cup final, becoming the first Polish referee to be entrusted with the tournament’s trophy decider.

Seven months later, Marciniak was also the first Pole to referee the men’s Champions League final. He took charge of the clash in Istanbul, which saw City beat Inter Milan 1-0, despite UEFA conducting a probe into his participation in an event with links to a far-right movement in the run-up to the game.

Marciniak apologised for his attendance at the event in Katowice, saying in a statement: “Upon reflection and further investigation, it has become evident that I was gravely misled and completely unaware of the true nature and affiliations of the event in question.

“I had no knowledge that it was associated [with] a Polish extreme-right movement. Had I been aware of this fact, I would have categorically declined the invitation.”

A FIFA international referee since 2011, Marciniak first officiated in the Ekstraklasa, the top flight of men’s league soccer in Poland, in April 2009. He made his Champions League debut in September 2014, and has gone on to referee a total of 46 games in Europe’s top club tournament.

In national-team soccer, Marciniak has refereed at two World Cups - 2018 and 2022 - and at Euro 2016.

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Who are Marciniak’s assistant referees for CWC final?

Marciniak’s assistants will be compatriots Tomasz Listkiewicz and Adam Kupsik, and the fourth official will be Venezuela’s Jesús Valenzuela.

Man City vs Fluminense: when, where, how to watch

Manchester City and Fluminense face off at King Abdullah Sports City today, Friday 22 December 2023, with kick-off in Jeddah scheduled for 1pm ET/10am PT. Viewers in the US will be able to stream the Club World Cup final live on FIFA+.

Man City vs Fluminense: live with AS USA

You’ll also have the option of following live-text coverage of City vs Fluminense at AS USA. Roddy Cons will be building up to the Game from around an hour ahead of kick-off, before providing minute-by-minute commentary.