Menachem Ashkenazi (August 6, 1934 – November 13, 2000) was an Israeli international football referee, born in Bulgaria, active during the 1960s and 1970s. He was the first Asian

Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

 referee who officiated in a World Cup.

Born in 1934 in a Jewish Sefardic family in Bulgaria, in 1936 he emigrated with his parents to the mandatory Palestine.
Since his childhood played soccer and distinguished himself at 16 at player in the youth football team of the club Hapoel Petah Tikva. But following a severe fracture of leg had to stop his career as football player.
He officiated in the Final of 1964 Olympic tournament

Football at the 1964 Summer Olympics

The football competition at the 1964 Summer Olympics started on October 11 and ended on October 23. Only one event, the men's tournament, was contested...

 (the only Israeli referee ever to do so) and also in the 1966 FIFA World Cup

1966 FIFA World Cup

The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...

. He was in charge in one of the most memorable matches of that World Cup, Portugal

Portugal national football team

The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...

's 5:3 win over North Korea in the quarterfinal.