He is right now one of the most respected black referees in football.

Bakary Papa Gassama, who became a FIFA referee in 2007, is expected to rake in more than D3m at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

According to UOL Esporte, the most experienced and qualified referees will be paid $70,000 for their services in Russia with a further $3,000 per game officiated.

It is not yet clear how many games Papa will officiate, because preparations are still ongoing and FIFA is yet to appoint match officials.

This is the second time for the Gambian-born to serve as a referee at the world cup. In 2014 in Brazil, he officiated the third group stage match in group B between the Netherlands and Chile.