Károly Palotai (11 September 1935 – 3 February 2018) was a Hungarian association football player and referee. He was an Olympic Gold winner as a player before turning to refereeing. He was a referee at three World Cup tournaments and officiated in two European Cup finals. He also served as an official referee for FIFA.
Palotai died in Budapest on 3 February 2018 of a stroke at the age of 82.