Football West would like to congratulate Arvin Shanmuganathan on his promotion to the FIFA list of match officials for 2025.
The 31-year-old has become WA’s first FIFA-listed match official since 2016.
Shanmuganathan, who began officiating in 2008, has more than 60 A-League Men’s match appointments to his name. He was an assistant referee in the 2024 Australia Cup final between Macarthur United and Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park, while other high-profile appearances include the AC Milan-AS Roma game earlier this year and the Crystal Palace-Leeds United friendly in 2022, both at Optus Stadium.
Football West General Manager – Football David Lewis said: “This is an outstanding achievement by Arvin following years of dedication to refereeing at both a state and national level.
“We are thrilled he is now in the running to be appointed to games at the highest level of our sport and look forward to seeing him flourish among the best match officials in the world.
“Arvin’s achievement also demonstrates that there are opportunities for referees in Western Australia to be recognised and to have opportunities to officiate at the top level.”
Football Australia Head of Referees John Moss said: “We are excited to introduce Arvin and Dion [Futsal Referee Dion Bradley] to the FIFA International Referee List who have both shown exceptional promise, and their new appointments signal Football Australia's ongoing commitment to fostering talent and maintaining the high standards that Australian refereeing is known for.”
Football West Life Member Mathew Cheeseman was the last WA match official on the FIFA list until his retirement eight years ago.
- Details of new Football West Level 4 Referee Courses will be advertised HERE in the new year.