2026 World Cup: Wilton Sampaio to officiate Mexico vs South Africa

Africa Today at 07:41

Imed Ben Amara

News Editor

11.06.26 15:00 World Cup

Mexico

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South Africa

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The officiating crew for the opening match of the 2026 World Cup between Mexico and South Africa, scheduled for June 11, 2026 at 7 p.m. GMT at the Mexico City Stadium, has now been confirmed.

FIFA has bestowed this honor upon Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio. The 44-year-old official will be taking charge of his second World Cup. He refereed four matches at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, including the high-stakes quarter-final between France and England.

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Wilton Sampaio will be assisted on the sidelines by his compatriots Bruno Pires and Bruno Boschilia. Paraguayan Juan Gabriel Benitez will serve as the fourth official for this encounter.

It's worth remembering that this Mexico vs South Africa fixture is a repeat of the opening match of the 2010 World Cup, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Here is the full officiating team for the match:

Main referee: Wilton Sampaio (Brazil)

Assistant 1: Bruno Pires (Brazil)

Assistant 2: Bruno Boschilia (Brazil)

Fourth official: Juan Gabriel Benitez (Paraguay)

Reserve assistant referee: Eduardo Cardozo (Paraguay)

VAR referee: Nicolas Gallo (Ecuador)

VAR assistant: Juan Lara (Chile)

VAR support: Jérôme Brisard (France)

Related teams and leagues

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South Africa

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