Joe Dickerson

Joseph Dickerson
Dickerson in 2018
Born 1987 or 1988 (age 38–39)
California, U.S.
Domestic
Years League Role
2017– Major League Soccer Referee
International
Years League Role
2023– FIFA Referee
2023– FIFA VAR

Joseph "Joe" Dickerson (born 1987 or 1988) is an American soccer referee who officiates in the Major League Soccer since 2017 and as an international FIFA referee since 2023. He was selected as a VAR to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Biography and career

Dickerson is a native and a resident of Northern California, and he is also a graduate from the University of California, Davis, where he obtained various degrees in Exercise Biology and Communications. As of 2026, Dickerson is a Master of Liberal Arts student at the University of Chicago.

Dickerson is fluent in Spanish, in addition to his native English, and has practiced many sports, including soccer, baseball, cross-country, rowing and cycling.

Domestic

He became a professional soccer referee in January 2013, and was listed in the Major League Soccer in October 2017, officiating his first match between Philadelphia Union vs. Orlando City. In the first seven years of his professional career inside the MLS, Dickerson has refereed at least 114 matches.

In August 2023, Dickerson refereed the U.S. Open Cup semifinal match between FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami at the TQL Stadium in Ohio.

In 2025, after a MLS game between Inter Miami and Orlando City, Dickerson had a verbal confrontation with Argentine footballer Lionel Messi, who questioned and disapproved of his refereeing. Dickerson warned Messi with a second yellow card and told him to "walk away."

He was named 2025 US Soccer Male Referee of the Year.

International

In June 2023, Dickerson received the FIFA International badge, taking charge of his first international match in the Gold Cup First Round game between Suriname and Puerto Rico. His second match on the international stage was a friendly game between Mexico and Ghana in Charlotte, North Carolina, and his third one was another friendly between the USMNT and Ghana in Nashville.

Dickerson later served as a VAR official at the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Indonesia, as well as in the CONCACAF Nations League and the CONCACAF qualification matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Dickerson also refereed in the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup, leading a chaotic game between El Salvador and Canada, where he showed a straight red card to a Salvadoran player in the Canadians' victory 2-0.

In October 2025, Dickerson was appointed to the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, where he officiated both as a match referee and a VAR official. He was assigned as the fourth official for the final between Argentina and Morocco.

Dickerson was selected as a VAR for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. He was one of eight American officials selected for the tournament. He received 12 assignments including the standby AVAR for the semifinal match.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "La historia de Joe Dickerson, el árbitro políglota que dirigió Argentina vs. Guatemala" [The story of Joe Dickerson, the multilingual referee who officiated Argentina vs. Guatemala]. TyC Sports (in Spanish). June 14, 2024. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Twelve U.S. Soccer Referees In Action Officiating At The 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup". US Soccer. June 28, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Cal North Referees Appointed to 2023 FIFA Panel". California North Referee Association. CANORTH Referees. January 4, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
  4. 1 2 "San Jose Soccer Referee Association". sjsra.org. San Jose Soccer Referee Association. 2017.
  5. ↑ "US-based referee Joseph Dickerson to handle Ghana vs. Mexico clash". GhanaWeb. October 13, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
  6. ↑ "From VAR Booth to the Study of Philosophy: MLA Student Heads to the World Cup". uchicago.edu. University of Chicago. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  7. ↑ "FC Cincinnati 3 MF - Pens MIA Inter Miami CF". ESPN Argentina (in Spanish). August 23, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
  8. 1 2 Cardenas, Felipe (May 23, 2025). "Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez led Inter Miami players-only meeting after Orlando loss". The New York Times. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Awards". ussoccer.com. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
  10. 1 2 Hall, Andy (October 16, 2023). "USMNT vs Ghana: who is Joe Dickerson, the referee for the friendly?". AS SPORTS. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
  11. ↑ Salazar, Fernando; Hall, Andy (October 15, 2023). "Mexico get their mojo back against Ghana". AS SPORTS. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
  12. ↑ "List of appointed FIFA Match Officials (75)" (PDF). FIFA.com. FIFA. 2023. p. 1. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Canada downs El Salvador in chaotic game to win Concacaf Gold Cup group". Sports Net Canada. Canadian Press. June 25, 2025. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
  14. ↑ Batschke, Nayara (October 7, 2025). ""Simplified version" of VAR emerging as vital at Under-20 World Cup soccer tournament". AP NEWS. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
  15. ↑ Zajíc, Martín (October 16, 2025). "¿Quién es Maurizio Mariani, el árbitro de Argentina vs. Marruecos por la final del Mundial Sub-20 2025?" [Who is Maurizio Mariani, the referee for Argentina vs. Morocco in the 2025 U-20 World Cup final?]. BOLAVIP (in Spanish). Retrieved October 17, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Eight U.S. Soccer Referees Appointed For This Summer's FIFA World Cup". ussoccer.com. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  17. ↑ "2026 FIFA World Cup Assignments". Retrieved July 20, 2026.