• The task of officiating the 2025 Arab Cup final was entrusted to Swedish international referee Glenn Nyberg, to lead this major Arab showdown

The organizing committee of the Arab Cup unveiled the identities of the "match officials" for the highly anticipated final, selecting the European school to manage the rhythm of the "Final of Dreams," which will bring together "Al-Nashama" (Jordan) and the "Atlas Lions" (Morocco) on Thursday evening at the iconic Lusail Stadium.

The committee assigned the task to Nyberg, assisted by a homogeneous team from his country: Mahboud Beigi (first assistant) and Andreas Söderkvist (second assistant), while the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) room will be managed by Swiss official Vidi San, assisted by Qatari Khamis Al-Mari (AVAR) and Saudi Abdullah Al-Shahri (SVAR).

Despite general satisfaction with the European refereeing team, the appointment of Chinese referee Ma Ning as the fourth official triggered outrage in Jordanian sports circles. Social media was flooded with widespread public demands urging the Jordan Football Association to intervene and call for his removal.

This popular veto stems from painful memories that remain vivid, as Ma Ning was at the center of a major refereeing controversy during the last AFC Asian Cup final between Jordan and Qatar, when he awarded three penalties against "Al-Nashama," which, according to Jordanian fans, deprived their team of the continental title at that time.

Jordanian fans see the presence of the Chinese referee—even as a fourth official—in another final on the same Lusail pitch as psychological pressure and provocation, questioning the fairness of his past decisions, and are appealing to the organizing committee to rectify the situation to ensure ideal conditions for the grand finale.