Malta will have a record 17 match officials on the FIFA international list in 2016, the Malta FA announced yesterday.

Referees Trustin Farrugia Cann and Fyodor Zammit, both aged 30, have been named on the FIFA list for the first time along with 29-year-old assistant referee Luke Portelli.

The elevation of Farrugia Cann and Zammit to FIFA status had been anticipated as the duo have established themselves among the country’s leading referees over the past few seasons. They succeed Marco Borg and Adrian Azzopardi.

Assistant referee Portelli replaces Ingmar Spiteri who retired at the end of last season.

The increase in the number of Maltese match officials on the FIFA list came about after the world football governing body accepted the Malta FA’s nomination of Clinton Mario Cassar, 33, as the second international futsal referee alongside the well-established Franco Cachia.

Experienced referees Clayton Pisani and Alan Mario Sant have retained their FIFA status for 2016 while Alan Camilleri, William Debattista, Mitchell Scerri, Edward Spiteri, Jurgen Spiteri, Duncan Sultana and Roberto Vella are the other approved FIFA assistant referees.

Esther Azzopardi remains Malta’s only female international referee while Stefan Pace and Jude Amin Utulu have been confirmed as FIFA beach soccer referees.

“Another milestone has been reached with the second FIFA badge in futsal – the result of hard work, vision and perseverance,” Adrian Casha, the Malta FA director of refereeing, said in a statement.

This is the third successive year that Malta has managed to increase the number of match officials on FIFA’s list.

In 2014, the total of international match officials stood at 13 while in 2015, Malta had 16.

“We will leave no stone unturned to extend our pool of international match officials next year,” Casha said.