According to an official announcement from the Shanghai Football Association on August 8th, Beijing time, World Cup referee Tantashev will officiate the final of the 2026 Shanghai Tomorrow's Stars Champions Cup between China U17 Men's National Team and Arsenal U17.
On August 9th, the final of the 2026 Shanghai Tomorrow's Stars Champions Cup Men's Football Tournament will kick off at the SAIC Pudong Football Stadium. Following Istvan Kovac's officiating of the opening ceremony, Uzbekistan referee and World Cup referee Ilgiz Tantashev will officiate the final between China U17 Men's Football Team and Arsenal U17.
According to reports, Tantashev has just completed his first World Cup officiating trip. During the 2026 USA-Mexico World Cup, he officiated three group stage matches: Scotland vs. Morocco, Algeria vs. Austria, and the Round of 16 match: Paraguay vs. France. In the 2025 season, Tantashev was also invited to China to officiate two key Chinese Super League matches.
