The main referee of the match is Mr. Heidari Payam (Iran), a familiar face to the U23 Vietnam team at this year's tournament.
According to AFC's assignment, this is the second time in the 2026 AFC U23 Championship finals that referee Heidari Payam has been assigned to officiate a match involving U23 Vietnam. Previously, he officiated the match U23 Vietnam won against U23 Kyrgyzstan 2-1 in the group stage, including a penalty situation for the Southeast Asian representative.
Referee Heidari Payam was born in 1987, started officiating in 2014 and was recognized as FIFA referee just one year later. He has spent many years officiating matches in the Iranian national championship and is often assigned by the AFC to perform tasks in continental tournaments such as the AFC Champions League, U20 Asian Cup or U23 Asian Cup.
According to professional statistics, Mr. Heidari Payam has officiated more than 200 matches in his career, with a high number of cards compared to the general level. The Iranian referee's operating style is considered strict, promotes discipline and lenient to tactical fouls, reactions to referees or tricks on the field.
Supporting the main referee in the upcoming quarter-final match are 2 fellow assistants Farhad Farhadpoor and Ali Ahmadi. The fourth referee is Mr. Faisal Sulaiman A. Albalawi (Saudi Arabia).
Notably, AFC continues to assign Singaporean referee Muhammad Taqi Aljaafari Bin Jahari to manage the VAR room. This is also the second match at the tournament that Mr. Muhammad Taqi Aljaafari Bin Jahari participated in in a match with U23 Vietnam. VAR assistant is Mr. Iida Jumpei (Japan).
According to the schedule, the quarter-final match between U23 Vietnam and U23 UAE takes place at 10:30 PM on January 16.
