Matthew Conger

{{Infobox football official

| name = Matthew Conger

| image = Matthew Conger 2018.jpg

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1978|10|11|df=y}}{{cite web|url=http://www.worldfootball.net/referee_summary/matthew-conger/1/1/ |title=Matthew Conger " Matches as referee |publisher=Worldfootball.net |access-date=10 August 2015}}

| birth_place = Plano, Texas, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| otheroccupation = Teacher

| years1 = 2007–2024

| league1 = NZFC

| role1 = Referee

| years2 = 2014–2019

| league2 = A-League

| role2 = Referee

| internationalyears1 = 2013–2024

| confederation1 = FIFA listed

| internationalrole1 = Referee

}}

Matthew Conger (born 11 October 1978) is a retired New Zealand football referee from Palmerston North. Born in Texas, United States, Conger operated in the Australian A-League and the New Zealand Football Championship. He is a former school teacher from Palmerston North who now works for Sport Manawatu.{{cite news | url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/sport/8111312/Conger-climbs-referees-ladder | title=Conger climbs referees' ladder | work=Manawatu Standard | date=22 December 2012 | access-date=22 February 2016 | author=Heagney, George}}

Refereeing career

Conger began refereeing in the United States as a teenager, continuing after moving to New Zealand in his early 20s.

Conger has refereed at the 2015 Under-20 World Cup in New Zealand, the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the 2017 Under-20 World Cup in South Korea, the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He has also officiated in numerous A-League and New Zealand Football Championship games. He has also been the man in the middle for OFC Champions League games.

In 2016, Conger left full-time teaching in order to concentrate more on his refereeing, but in 2017 was engaged part-time at Palmerston North's Carncot School.{{cite web | url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/99150012/kiwi-ref-matt-conger-off-to-world-cup-in-russia | title=Kiwi football referee Matt Conger off to 2018 Fifa World Cup finals in Russia | publisher=Stuff.co.nz | date=29 November 2017 | access-date=1 June 2018 | author=Heagney, George}}

In 2017, Conger was named the New Zealand referee of the year.

FIFA World Cup

class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto 1em auto; text-align:center; font-size:small;" ! colspan="4" \| 2018 FIFA World Cup – Russia
Date	Match	Venue	Round
22 June 2018	{{fb\|NGR}} – {{fb\|ISL}}	Volgograd	Group stage

class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto 1em auto; text-align:center; font-size:small;"

! colspan="4" | 2018 FIFA World Cup – Russia

Date

Match

Venue

Round

22 June 2018

{{fb|NGR}} – {{fb|ISL}}

Volgograd

Group stage

class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto 1em auto; text-align:center; font-size:small;" ! colspan="4" \| 2022 FIFA World Cup – Qatar
Date	Match	Venue	Round
30 November 2022	{{fb\|TUN}} – {{fb\|FRA}}	Al Rayyan	Group stage

class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto 1em auto; text-align:center; font-size:small;"

! colspan="4" | 2022 FIFA World Cup – Qatar

Date

Match

Venue

Round

30 November 2022

{{fb|TUN}} – {{fb|FRA}}

Al Rayyan

Group stage