For the second time, Kyle Atkins, an Olathe, Kansas, native, has been selected as part of the World Cup referee crew. Atkins officiated 10 matches during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, including the final.
He will be one of only eight Americans on the squad. The selection is a testament to Atkins' skill, professionalism and career.
“To have been selected to one is something that not many people can say, but to be selected to two, it's an even smaller list. So it's an incredible honor, and I'm incredibly excited to be able to represent the U.S. this summer,” Atkins told KCUR’s Up To Date.
Atkins got his start in 2001 as a referee for youth soccer at Olathe’s Heritage Park. But as a teen, Atkins hadn’t developed thick skin to brush off the critiques, complaints and arguing from the sidelines — both parents and coaches could be “brutal,” Atkins said.
Atkins tried to quit, but his dad said that he must honor his commitment and complete the rest of his assigned games.
“I didn't want to do it. I was kicking and screaming, crying the whole way back” Atkins said. “But I went back and I finished those games, and they went a lot better, and I haven't stopped refereeing since.”
Twenty-five years into his career, Atkins says the spectators are just background noise. Yelling and screaming are just part of the soccer atmosphere, energy that the players and referees feed off of.
Before stepping onto the pitch of a roaring stadium, Atkins and the two other referees have to get motivated in the locker room. Every crew has their own routine, Atkins said.
“But in our particular crew, we have a set playlist that we listen to before the match, and there are a couple of songs that might get us in the dancing mood. And I go out there and I do a little jig and get us all excited for the game,” he said.
Atkins doesn’t know yet which matches he’ll officiate — including if he’ll end up at one of the six hometown matches that Kansas City will host this summer.
Referees will first report to Miami, Florida, in May for a 10-day seminar. Atkins said the crew typically receives their assignment three days before the match, and then referees study their designated teams as preparation.
- Kyle Atkins, assistant referee, 2026 FIFA World Cup
