Björn Kuipers
The Dutch referee who commanded the world's biggest football matches with a unique blend of authoritative calm and a businessman's sharp eye.
Born 1973 (age 53)·Dutch football referee·Birthday: March 28·Generation X
Biography
Björn Kuipers didn't follow the typical path to refereeing's summit. While building a successful supermarket and hair salon empire in the Netherlands, he was simultaneously ascending UEFA's and FIFA's most elite lists. This dual life as entrepreneur and official forged a distinct style: calm, impeccably prepared, and in total control, with a presence that managed superstar egos and high-stakes tension without seeming overbearing. He became the trusted choice for Champions League finals, European Championships, and ultimately the 2014 World Cup final, where his steady hand oversaw one of the most watched sporting events on the planet. His retirement marked the end of an era for a figure who redefined professionalism in officiating.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Björn was born in 1973, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Björn Was Born
The biggest hits of 1973
#1 Movie
The Exorcist
Best Picture
The Sting
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Björn's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1973Born
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1978Started school
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1986Became a teenager
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Could drive
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1991Could vote
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Turned 21
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2003Turned 30
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 40
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 50
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 53 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Officiated the 2014 FIFA World Cup final between Germany and Argentina.
- Was the referee for three UEFA Champions League finals (2013, 2014, and 2018).
- The first Dutch referee to take charge of a European Championship final (UEFA Euro 2020).
- Named the IFFHS World's Best Referee of the Year in 2013.
Did You Know?
He is a co-owner of a chain of supermarkets and a hair salon company in the Netherlands.
He holds a degree in business economics from the Radboud University Nijmegen.
He is a licensed physiotherapist.
He and his regular assistant Sander van Roekel have been a team since their youth refereeing days.
“You have to be yourself. You cannot copy anyone else.”
