Borussia Dortmund defender Julian Ryerson wants FIFA to scrap its referee cameras.
The Norway international was among the players caught on camera during the 2026 World Cup, when FIFA introduced body-worn cameras for referees across all 104 matches.
The technology, known as ‘refcams’, allowed broadcasters to show match footage and audio from the referee’s perspective, giving television viewers a closer look at on-field incidents and conversations.
However, Ryerson believes the cameras are changing the behaviour of players and officials, making normal interactions on the pitch increasingly difficult.
The defender attracted worldwide attention during Norway’s match against England when he was shown discussing an offside decision with referee Clement Turpin.
“I think it’s a bit much now – especially when they have refcams and people start acting a bit differently because they know there’s a camera on them,” Ryerson told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.
“You can’t talk to them normally; they try to be overly nice. It’s actually a bit comical.”
Ryerson believes football is better without the additional technology and wants FIFA to return to a more traditional approach to refereeing.
“They could get rid of them. We’re there to play football, after all – not for everything else surrounding it,” he added.
“I think football is best when it’s a bit more pure. It’s becoming a bit too much of a show.”
Ryerson and Norway return to action on Saturday when they host Wales at the Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo.
