Although in football it is usual for the players to take center stage, 2023 was quite fruitful for Colombian referee Wilmar Roldán, and his harvest allowed him to join an exclusive list of referees who are classified as the best in the world.
Roldán was included by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) in the top ten of the best referees in the world thanks to his good performances, both in the local rental and in international competitions (including those of national teams).
The Antioquian was in position number 8 in the ranking with a total of 16 points in the vote. The most striking thing about this recognition is that Roldán was not only the only Colombian present, but also the only South American, being the oldest representative of the Conmebol.
Within this ranking Roldán accompanied great names in the refereeing sphere such as the Polish Simon Marciniak, the Italian Daniele Orsato or the Englishman Anthony Taylor, all belonging to UEFA.
This was the top 10 of the best referees in the world in 2023
- Szymon Marciniak – Polonia – UEFA / 175 points
- Daniele Orsato – Italy – UEFA / 95 points
- Clement Turpin – France – UEFA / 64 points
- Michael Oliver – England – UEFA / 36 points
- Anthony Taylor – England – UEFA / 34 points
- François Letexier – Francia – UEFA / 28 points
- Danny Makkelie- Netherlands – UEFA / 19 points
- Wilmar Roldán – Colombia – CONMEBOL / 16 points
- Jesús Gil Manzano – Spain – UEFA / 11 points
- Felix Zwayer – Germany – UEFA / 9 points
Marciniak ended up winning the award for the best referee in the world for the second consecutive time, highlighting his consistency and his performance in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup.
Each year the IFFHS organizes voting and statistics to crown the annual winners in all global categories. All of our rankings are made to rate the calendar year, not the season. The international jury is made up of IFFHS members (sports journalists, football experts) from 120 countries from all continents of the world.
This was Wilmar Roldán’s 2023
Combining both BetPlay League tournaments, Roldán served as central judge in 29 matches throughout the year, in which he issued 128 yellow cards and 11 red cards. In most of his actions, his work was approved, although on several occasions he was not lowered from “superb.”
The Antioquian also participated in the 2023 Copa Libertadores, being the center back in 11 games in which he got 65 yellows and 6 reds. Among his most notable commitments is the final of the tournament between Boca Juniors and Fluminense, which the Brazilian team ended up winning 2-1.
In this match, Roldán got 7 yellow cards and 1 red card (to his compatriot Frank Fabra), making it the third Libertadores game in which he showed the most cards.
Within the other major international competitions, Wilmar Roldán also had a leading role, especially in the South American Qualifiers. There were three matches in which he was present, Argentina vs. Ecuador, Chile vs. Peru and Argentina vs. Uruguay, then having to whistle, on two occasions, at nothing more and nothing less than the world champions.
To close with a golden bow, he had the privilege of refereeing two Arab football matches, specifically in Al-Nassr clashes, a club where the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo plays, where he left some controversy for being quite permissive with the Portuguese star. With Infobae
