Mexico city: Wilton Sampio will referee the opening match of the 2026 World Cup in Mexico. The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has revealed the list of referees who will officiate the opening match of the 2026 World Cup. Mexico, one of the co-hosts, will face South Africa in Group A at the Estadio Azteca tonight at 2:00 AM.
According to Thai News Agency, the refereeing team for the opening match of the World Cup will be entirely from Brazil, led by referee Wilton Sampio, who will officiate the game, along with Bruno Pires and Bruno Boschilia as assistant referees. Sampio previously officiated matches at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and was also part of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) team when FIFA first introduced it at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.