A Brazilian team leads the opening of the World Cup.
Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio will officiate the opening match of the FIFA World Cup between Mexico and South Africa, leading a Brazilian team of three referees in the match to be held in Mexico City.
His compatriots Bruno Pérez and Bruno Puchilía will assist him in the opening match of Group A, which will take place at the Azteca Stadium next Thursday.
Sampaio officiated matches in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and was part of the video assistant referee team when it was introduced for the first time in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The International Football Federation (FIFA) has set a record number of referees, with 52 on-field referees and 88 assistants, for the expanded tournament featuring 48 teams.
However, the United States refused to allow one referee, Omar Abdul Qadir Artn from Somalia, to enter, who was expected to be the first Somali to officiate a match in the World Cup.
Referee appointments for each match are usually announced two or three days before the match date.
Full article is available on Hesspress Sports.
Read full article at Hesspress SportsSource: Hesspress Sports
Headline and excerpt shown under fair use with full credit. All rights remain with the original publisher.