FIFA has appointed Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio to officiate the opening match of the 2026 World Cup between Mexico and South Africa.
Sampaio will lead an all Brazilian on field team for Thursday’s Group A match at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Bruno Pires and Bruno Boschilia will serve as his assistant referees.
The 43 year old is no stranger to the World Cup stage. He officiated matches at the 2022 tournament in Qatar. He was also part of the video assistant referee team during the 2018 World Cup in Russia when VAR was introduced to the competition.
FIFA has selected a record number of officials for this year’s tournament. A total of 52 referees and 88 assistant referees have been appointed for the expanded 48 team World Cup.
However, one selected official will not be part of the event. Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was expected to become the first official from Somalia to work at a World Cup match. But the United States denied him entry before the tournament.
FIFA usually confirms referee appointments for each match two or three days before kick off. Sampaio’s selection means he will have the honour of taking charge of the first game of the tournament.
