Dutch referee dies aged 38 weeks after being dropped from World Cup

By Adegboyega AdeleyeDutch football referee Rob Dieperink has died at the age of 38, just weeks after he was removed from FIFA’s list of match officials for the 2026 World Cup following a police investigation in the United Kingdom that was later dropped.According to the BBC, Dieperink had been selected as a video assistant referee (VAR) for the tournament before FIFA removed him from the World Cup panel in May after he was arrested by the Metropolitan Police in April over an allegation of