Aspetar Magazine 2026

68 ASPETAR MAGAZINE SPECIAL REPORT Aspetar’s contribution to the FIFA World Cup™ has never been limited to players alone. Referees, whose performance, decision- making, and physical resilience are equally essential to the integrity of the game, have long been central to the hospital’s preventive strategy. Since 2008, officials and players from around the world have undergone regular Periodic Health Evaluations and Pre-Competition Medical Assessments at Aspetar under the leadership of Nelly Khalil, Head Nurse of the Athlete Screening Department at Aspetar, and her nursing teams. In this role, she has been central to building one of the most comprehensive screening and preventive systems in elite sport. “Pre-compet i t ion medical assessment is crucial,” she explains. “It helps us identify hidden health risks and protect referees before they step onto the field.” These programmes evolved into one of the most comprehensive referee assessment systems in international sport, encompassing cardiac evaluation, visual testing, body composition analysis, laboratory investigations, and exercise stress testing — tailored to the physical demands of officiating at the highest level. Refereeing at major tournaments involves extraordinary physical and mental demands; officials regularly cover more than 11 kilometres per match while making hundreds of split-second decisions. Aspetar’s screening services were provided to male referees selected for the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ in Russia, ensuring that each official was evaluated and cleared to perform under intense competitive conditions. The hospital ’s preventive expertise has also been extended to female referees. In the build-up to the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup™, officials from around the world completed their medical screenings at Aspetar, demonstrating the institution’s commitment to supporting referees across both men’s and women’s elite competitions. Beyond officials, Aspetar’s screening capabilities have been applied directly to national team preparation. In advance of the 2018 FIFAWorld Cup™, the Tunisia national team underwent comprehensive medical and performance assessments at Aspetar as part of its tournament readiness programme. These assessments helped identify areas for intervention, optimise training loads, and support player availability ahead of the competition. Prevention and Integrity: Protecting the Game Beyond the Players with Nurse Nelly Khalil Our role is to make sure they are physically and mentally fit to cope with this pressure.