Drew Fischer

Drew Fischer (born July 10, 1980) is a Canadian soccer referee who officiates in Major League Soccer and was approved for international matches by FIFA in 2015.

Background

Fischer was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. As a teen in Calgary he began officiating to earn extra money. Fischer has been a professional referee since 2007. He was accredited to first-division games in North America in 2012 and has been FIFA referee since 2015, only one of three Canadians at the time. He has a degree in physics from the University of Calgary.

Refereeing career

Domestic Fischer has officiated several Canadian Championship matches since 2012. He officiated the finals of the Canadian Championship in 2013, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2025.

International After obtaining FIFA status in 2015, Fischer was appointed to referee the 2015 CONCACAF Men's Under-17 Championship and the 2015 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship. He was also appointed to be a Video Assistant Referee for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France. He was selected for the Club World Cup in 2020, 2021, and 2025. He was assigned as a video match official to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Fischer was a referee at the 2024 Olympic Games, then was selected to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

2026 FIFA World Cup Drew Fischer was selected for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. Fischer and his assistants Lyes Arfa and Michael Barwegen became the first all-Canadian referee crew to officiate a men's World Cup.

In the group stage, Fischer took charge of the match between France and Iraq. He also was the referee for Ghana and Croatia. Fischer was then appointed to a round of 32 knockout match between Cape Verde and Argentina. According to the FIFA rankings, Cape Verde was ranked 64th and Argentina was ranking 2nd. However, the match went to extra time and Argentina escaped with a 3-2 win. Fischer was criticized for holding the taking of a corner kick to allow Argentina's Nicolas Tagliafico to receive treatment and change his shirt. Despite the criticism, Fischer was appointed as the 4th official for the quarterfinal between Argentina and Switzerland.

Honours MLS Referee of the Year Award: 2024, 2025 Ray Morgan Memorial Award: 2022, 2023