FIFA has officially appointed Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio to take charge of the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup between Mexico and South Africa.
The match will be played on Thursday at the famous Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, one of the most iconic football stadiums in the world. The game is highly anticipated because it is the first match of the tournament and involves the host nation, Mexico, facing South Africa in a Group Stage encounter.
Wilton Sampaio, who is 44 years old, is one of Brazil’s most experienced referees. He has previously officiated at major international tournaments, including the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. During that tournament, he handled several important matches, including the quarter-final clash between France and England, which drew global attention.
For this opening match, Sampaio will not be working alone. He will be assisted by two fellow Brazilians, Bruno Pires and Bruno Boschilia, who will serve as assistant referees. The fourth official for the match is Juan Gabriel Cardoso from Paraguay.
In addition, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) team will include officials from different countries to ensure fairness in decision-making. The VAR lead is Nicolas Gallo from Colombia, assisted by Juan Lara from Chile and Jérôme Brisard from France. Their role will be to review key decisions such as goals, penalties, and red card incidents.
Sampaio is known in world football for his strong and confident refereeing style. He is considered strict on the pitch and is not afraid to make difficult decisions when needed. This has made him one of the trusted referees for big international matches.
He is also familiar with Mexican football, having officiated several matches involving Mexican clubs in international competitions. He has previously handled games at the FIFA Club World Cup and also refereed Mexico’s Copa América match against Jamaica in 2016.
Brazil has one of the strongest refereeing representations in the tournament. Alongside Sampaio, other Brazilian referees such as Ramon Abatti and Raphael Claus have also been selected for the World Cup, supported by several assistant referees from the country.
As the tournament begins, South Africa will be hoping for a fair contest as they face the host nation in a very important opening match. Both teams will be eager to start their World Cup campaign on a positive note in what is expected to be a tense and exciting game.
