English international referee Anthony Taylor announced on Tuesday his retirement from officiating at elite level football, after a distinguished career spanning more than two decades and including 831 matches. Taylor, 47, retired after his last World Cup participation, refereeing the round of 16 match between Portugal and Spain in the United States. Taylor said in a statement published on the Premier League website: 'Refereeing at elite level has been a great honor, but the pressure is intense and the scrutiny constant.' He added: 'Now is the time to step back and look forward to moving on to the next chapter of my career.' Taylor spent 16 seasons refereeing in the Premier League, where he officiated 432 matches in England's top-flight. He also refereed all major domestic cup finals. His domestic assignments included the 2017 and 2020 FA Cup finals, the 2015 EFL Cup final, the 2015 Community Shield, and the 2018 Championship play-off final. Taylor is widely regarded as one of the top referees in England, and his career also included appointments in major international tournaments, where he spent 14 years on the FIFA international list and refereed matches at the 2022 and 2026 World Cups, Euro 2020 and 2024, and the 2022 and 2025 FIFA Club World Cups.