Howard Webb is a highly respected former professional football referee, recognized internationally for officiating major tournaments including the FIFA World Cup and UEFA Champions League finals. After achieving a unique distinction in 2010 by becoming the first person to referee both the UEFA Champions League final (Bayern Munich vs Inter Milan) and the FIFA World Cup final (Netherlands vs Spain) in the same year, Howard Webb solidified his standing as one of international football’s most respected officials. Webb initially began his refereeing journey in local leagues in 1989, steadily progressing to become an assistant referee in the Northern Counties East League by 1993, and then a full referee for that league in 1995. His dedication saw him quickly move up, earning appointments as a Football League assistant referee in 1996 and a Premier League assistant referee alongside a Football Conference referee role in 1998.
In August 2022, Webb returned to the Professional Game Match Officials Board (PGMOL) as its Chief Refereeing Officer, where he currently leads refereeing standards and performance across English professional football.