Rob Dieperink, a 38-year-old Dutch referee from Borculo, was found dead. His death was announced by the Dutch Football Federation, which described him as a highly regarded referee with international experience and a kind, involved colleague. According to Dutch media citing police sources, the involvement of other people has been ruled out. The causes of death remain under investigation.

Dieperink had been selected by FIFA as a VAR official for the 2026 World Cup. He had been refereeing in the Eredivisie since 2017 and had served as a VAR official at Euro 2024. On Saturday, just days before his death, he had officiated a friendly match between Go Ahead Eagles and Apollon.

In April, after serving on the refereeing team for the Crystal Palace-Fiorentina match in the UEFA Conference League, Dieperink was arrested in a London hotel on allegations of sexual molestation involving a 17-year-old. The case was subsequently closed by British police due to insufficient evidence. Despite the dismissal, FIFA decided to exclude him from the World Cup.

According to some reports, Dieperink had expressed deep distress over the accusation, stating that being unjustly accused had been a source of great suffering. Several media outlets have speculated that the exclusion from the World Cup and the impact of the accusation may have contributed to his death, though no official confirmation has been provided regarding the circumstances.