Amsterdam, 13 July 2026

Rob Dieperink, a 38-year-old Dutch Eredivisie referee, has died in Amsterdam after being left out of a FIFA World Cup squad, according to reports from The Athletic and De Telegraaf.

What's new since 13 July

Update 13 July 2026: Dutch media and the English outlet The Athletic have confirmed the death of Rob Dieperink, an Eredivisie referee, at the age of 38. Earlier coverage had only described a 38-year-old referee who died suddenly; the new reports name him directly and place his death in Amsterdam, in the days after he was dropped from a FIFA World Cup squad.

A career cut short

Dieperink had been omitted from the international panel for the upcoming World Cup, a decision reported by De Telegraaf that left him deeply disappointed. According to the same newspaper, the disappointment over the so-called WM-Ausbootung weighed on him in the period before his death.

The circumstances of his passing have not been publicly detailed. Dutch outlets framed the news within a national mood of mourning, with the KNVB and Dutch football observers reacting to the loss of a top-tier official who had been active in the Eredivisie, the country's highest domestic division.

Previous allegation and denial

Dieperink had previously faced an allegation of sexual assault of a minor in London, according to reports from The Athletic and De Telegraaf. He was taken into custody at the time in connection with that allegation. He denied the accusation in remarks quoted at the time: "Es macht mich sehr traurig, dass ich zu Unrecht beschuldigt wurde" — "It makes me very sad that I was wrongly accused," he was quoted as saying.

It is not clear from the available reporting how the London case was resolved, nor whether it had any direct bearing on his omission from the World Cup squad. FIFA and the KNVB have not, according to the cited reports, publicly linked the two events.

Dieperink's career had placed him among the leading Dutch match officials. Working regularly in the Eredivisie, he had attracted the attention of UEFA and FIFA assessors, which is what made his non-selection for the World Cup a notable development in Dutch refereeing circles.

Reaction in Dutch football

The news prompted an outpouring of tributes from Dutch football, with figures from the Eredivisie, the KNVB and former colleagues expressing shock. UEFA, which oversees European refereeing, was named in the coverage as one of the bodies involved in his career trajectory, though neither UEFA nor FIFA had issued a detailed public statement at the time of writing.

Pressure on elite referees

The case also reopened debate in the Netherlands about the pressures placed on elite referees and the personal toll of major tournament selections. Mental health advocates and former officials pointed to the intensity of scrutiny that comes with officiating at the highest level, and to the silence that often follows an official out of the public eye.