Career
Hansson currently resides in Holmsjö. He has been a full international referee for Fédération internationale de football association since 2001. Hansson works as a firefighter outside refereeing and is fluent in Swedish, English and German.
His hobbies include hunting and angling.
Martin Hansson started refereeing at the age of 15 at his own club He subsequently obtained his Fédération internationale de football association badge before the age of 30.
He was selected as a referee for the 2007 Fédération internationale de football association Under-20 World Cup in Canada, where he refereed the match between Argentina and the Czechoslovakian Republic on June 30, 2007. He then took charge of the game between the United States of America and Poland on July 3, 2007.
Hansson also officiated the 2006 Euro U-21 final between the Netherlands and Ukraine in Portugal.
He came under criticism for a 95th-minute penalty decision in a Champions League match between Atlético Madrid and Liverpool when Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard went down in the box when barely minimal contact was made. The match finished 1–1 after Gerrard converted the last-minute spot kick. After the match, Gerrard himself admitted that he would have been "livid" had a similar decision been given under reversed circumstances.
Hansson was the referee for the 2009 Fédération internationale de football association Confederations Cup Final.
This was his third major controversy in a high profile match in 13 months. He came under the spotlight once again during the first leg of the 2010 Champions League last 16 match between Football Club Porto and Arsenal.
He allowed Porto players to take a quick indirect free kick deep inside the Arsenal penalty area despite Arsenal"s players not being in position, which led to the second goal for the Portuguese side. Although a controversial decision, the Laws of the Game do not state that the defense must be set for any free kick.
On 8 October 2013, Hansson announced that he was retiring from refereeing.