Brazil’s debut in the World Cup only takes place on Saturday (13), but this Thursday (11) Brazilians are already taking to the field. The referee Wilton Sampaio, 44 years old, will be responsible for the opening ceremony of the competitionwhich officially starts at 4pm and will have as its first match the game between Mexico and South Africa. The game will be held at the Azteca Stadium, which is located in the Mexican capital.
In addition to Wilton Sampaio, the assistants Bruno Pires and Bruno Boschilla.
This is the third time that the Brazilian is among the FIFA referees for the tournament. He had already been present at the 2018 edition, in South Africa, when he served as Video Referee (VAR).
In 2022, he served as the main referee. He was responsible for the round of 16 match between the Netherlands and the United States, and the quarter-final match between France and EnglandGame that ended with controversies surrounding Brazilian arbitration.
At the time, the English complained about unmarked fouls, a penalty and a foul on player Bukayo Saka in the play that led to the French team’s first goal – England was eliminated by France.
Now in 2026, he repeats the same mark as in 2022 and will be the main referee, making his debut in the opening match and having the chance to erase the ghost of the last edition.
In addition to Wilton Sampaio, two other Brazilians are on the FIFA refereeing team for the 2026 World Cup: Raphael Claus and Ramon Abatti Abel. Regarding assistants, Brazil also has representatives: Danilo Manis, Rodrigo Figueiredo and Rafael Alves.
