But this time, Canberra referee Ben Williams will have the best seat in the house as an official in Brazil.

Williams was selected as one of 25 referees from around the globe.

Williams, the Asian Football Confederation referee of the year, was placed on a shortlist of candidates two years ago; performances from big FIFA tournaments determined the final list.

Williams received the good news on Tuesday night and said it was the culmination of a lifelong ambition.

''It's something I've been working towards for 22 or 23 years,'' he said. ''Hopefully I get the opportunity to fulfil this dream.''

The final appointments for the World Cup and what matches each referee is assigned won't be known until a few days before the tournament kicks off in Brazil in June.

Williams is a physical education teacher at Belconnen High School and officiates the occasional Capital Football premier league game during the winter.

He was in charge of Tuesday night's A-League match between Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers at AAMI Park and will continue officiating in the national competition until the end of the season.

Williams is vastly experienced on the international stage.

He has been a FIFA referee since 2005 and graduated to the elite panel of the Asian Football Conference the following season.

Williams officiated at the 2010 Club World Cup and the 2011 Asian Cup before getting a gig at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

He took charge of the 2012 Asian Champions League final, last year's under-20 World Cup in Turkey and the Asian World Cup qualifying play-off between Uzbekistan and Jordan.

Every tournament has led him a step closer to making it on to the world's biggest stage.

It's a far cry from when Williams took in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, travelling around Europe on his honeymoon.

''The way our holiday panned out we were in Berlin when Germany beat Argentina 4-0, so Berlin went bananas,'' he said.

''We were going to Holland next and were in Amsterdam when they won their semi-final, then we were in Spain for the final.

''To see it from the fan's perspective was absolutely fantastic, so it is going to be great to be on the other side,'' he said.