David Gantar

David Gantar
Gantar before a 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup match at MetLife Stadium
Full name David John Gantar
Born (1975-06-27) June 27, 1975
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Other occupation CFO and vice president of Stanley Construction Ltd.
Domestic
Years League Role
2015-2021 Major League Soccer Referee
2019–2021 Canadian Premier League Referee
International
Years League Role
2011–2021 FIFA listed Referee

David Gantar (born June 27, 1975) is a Canadian soccer referee for PRO from Edmonton, Alberta.[1] He has been a Canadian National Referee since 2004, and became a FIFA Referee in 2011. Gantar had a highly successful first year of international duty, officiating at three international tournaments — including one major tournament — and in the CONCACAF Champions League and 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualification.[2]

Early Life

Gantar grew up in the North Edmonton community of Kilkenny, where he played youth soccer. He completed his first referee clinic at the age of 12 and began officiating local matches. He advanced quickly through the refereeing ranks, developing a long-term interest in officiating.[3]

Career

Gantar had a successful first year as a FIFA referee, attending three international tournaments. His year included appointment to the Gold Cup (the continental championship) ahead of fellow Canadian FIFA Referee Paul Ward. The appointment came despite Ward's seniority and experience; coupled with Gantar's inclusion on CONCACAF's Elite Referee List.[4]

He was the match referee for international friendlies involving the Brazil national team twice in 2013 and 2014, and Colombia twice in 2014. Brazil and Colombia are among the most prominent international sides he officiated.[5][6][7]

On April 27, 2019, Gantar was the match official for the inaugural match of the Canadian Premier League.

Gantar retired following the 2021 Season. His final match was the 2021 Canadian Championship Final.[8]

His unofficial final refereeing appearance took place on June 4, 2022, at John Barnett School in the Kilkenny neighbourhood of Edmonton, Alberta—the same field where he had officiated his first match and where he grew up.[9][10]

Off The Field

Gantar has an MBA from the University of Alberta and is the CFO and vice president of Stanley Construction Ltd.[11]

He is a founding member of the Grande Prairie Soccer Referees Association and the Grande Prairie Men's League.[12]

Tournament Statistics

Tournament Date Venue Round Team 1 Result Team 2 Yellow card Red card
CONCACAF U-20 Championship[13] March 29 Guatemala Estadio Mateo Flores, Guatemala City Group Stage  Suriname 0 – 4  United States 2 1
CONCACAF U-20 Championship April 8 Guatemala Estadio Mateo Flores, Guatemala City Semi-Final  Costa Rica 2 – 1  Guatemala 5 0
CONCACAF Gold Cup[14] June 10 United States FIU Stadium, Miami Group Stage  Grenada 1 – 7  Honduras 1 0
Pan American Games[15] October 21 Mexico Estadio Omnilife, Guadalajara Group Stage  Costa Rica 0 – 3  Argentina 5 0
Pan American Games[16] October 23 Mexico Estadio Omnilife, Guadalajara Group Stage  Trinidad and Tobago 1 – 1  Ecuador 6 0

Card statistics

Season G Yellow card Tot Yellow card PG Red card Tot Red card PG
2010 3 7 2.33 0 0
2011 17 68 4 5 0.29
2012 3 6 2 3 1

Statistics for all competitions, including domestic, CONCACAF and international friendlies/tournaments.

Honours

References

  1. ^ "PRO Referee Roster". PROreferees.com. Archived from the original on June 3, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  2. ^ "2011 International Appointments". Canadian Soccer Association. Archived from the original on January 24, 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  3. ^ https://albertasoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/DaveGantar_PressRelease.pdf
  4. ^ "CONCACAF Elite Referee Course held in Dallas". CONCACAF. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
  5. ^ "Brazil 5-0 Honduras (Nov 16, 2013) Final Score". ESPN. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
  6. ^ "Brazil 1-0 Colombia (Sep 5, 2014) Final Score". ESPN. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
  7. ^ "Colombia 3-0 El Salvador (Oct 10, 2014) Final Score". ESPN. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
  8. ^ @CanadaSoccerEN (November 22, 2021). "Congratulations to Canada Soccer Referee Dave Gantar who refereed his final match today at the 2021 Canadian Championship Final. Happy retirement!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  9. ^ Alberta Soccer (June 8, 2022). A Referee Finale: Dave Gantar's Final Match. Retrieved August 9, 2025 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ https://albertasoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/DaveGantar_PressRelease.pdf
  11. ^ "Dave Gantar Linkedin Profile". Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  12. ^ https://albertasoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/DaveGantar_PressRelease.pdf
  13. ^ "Referees ready for U-20 Championship".
  14. ^ "Gold Cup first-round referees announced".
  15. ^ "Men First Round Group B Match 5". Retrieved January 20, 2012.
  16. ^ "Men First Round Group A Match 9". Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  17. ^ https://albertasoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/DaveGantar_PressRelease.pdf
  18. ^ https://albertasoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/ASA_AwardsArchive.pdf
  19. ^ "Profile - Canada Soccer". January 28, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
  20. ^ "Single Award - Canada Soccer". February 2, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
  21. ^ "Profile - Canada Soccer". January 28, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
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