WC 2026 kick off. Referee Wilton Sampaio from Brazil will be in charge of the opener, Mexico - South Africa.
Group A
11 June 2026, 21:00 CET
Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
MEXICO - SOUTH AFRICA
Referee: WILTON SAMPAIO (BRA)
Assistant Referee 1: BRUNO PIRES (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: BRUNO BOSCHILIA (BRA)
Fourth Official: BENITEZ Juan Gabriel (PAR)
Reserve AR : CARDOZO Eduardo (PAR)
Vidéo Assistant Referee: GALLO Nicolas (COL)
Assistant Vidéo Assistant Referee 1 : LARA Juan (CHI)
Assistant Vidéo Assistant Referee 2 : BRISARD Jerome (FRA)
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ReplyDeletePlease specify that you are writing predictions, otherwise you generate confusion among the readers. Thank you.
DeleteSampaio's AR's are two of the very best in the world. Bruno Boschilia has been around since forever ago, working even on the 2016 Copa America Final, for example. And Bruno Pires garnered high praise on this blog for his fantastic impression in the 2022 World Cup.
ReplyDeleteKick off 6 minutes late. Hopefully not a common occurrence
ReplyDeleteI guess in first matches of host nations because of opening ceremonies
DeleteI don't like those white stripes on the short of the referees. The stripes from the Tshirt are okay I guess but the short should be fully black. Eventually you can add some white stripes on the socks, but definitely they do not look good on the short.
ReplyDeleteSampaio’s body language outstanding! Very clear application of the countdown on throw ins and what a game this is going to be.
ReplyDeleteI would rather if each throw in wasn't accompanied by 3 or 4 whistles however...
DeleteVery true one things for sure the Brazilian loves his whistle.
DeleteFair comment
DeleteCould have been YC for SA for steping on foot
ReplyDeleteClear yellow.
DeleteSampaio ever management their cards in the start normally discussing with players but in the second half open your tool box
ReplyDeleteA few challenges from South Africa. A card can't be too far away
ReplyDeleteAs if by magic...
DeleteThe Brazilian referee forced to issue this first YC.
ReplyDeleteHe was aware that he could have booked also the other player before, so it was mandatory choice now, understanding the moment of the game.
Another potential yellow card. South Africa playing very close to the limit
ReplyDelete21', this was another clear YC for South Africa.
ReplyDeleteHow much can be allowed to the CAF team?
Now a correct YC for Mexico. They may feel somewhat aggrieved though given the challenges by South Africa so far
ReplyDeleteA little late intervention by AR2, wasn't it?
DeleteNot sure about YC for Mexico, I haven't seen contact
ReplyDeleteAnd plenty running towards ref,from both sides.
ReplyDeleteMaybe stricter policy is needed.
As I expected.
DeleteInteresting first goal kick vs corner challenge. Referees now always going to opt for the defensive restart of goal kick as only "clearly wrong corners" can be overturned. Bringing this in line with general coaching for referees of not sure = goal kick
ReplyDeleteShould be the opposite though. Since an incorrect corner kick can be changed.
Delete45+2 second occurrence
DeleteI think Sampaio's style is dangerous. He tends to talk too much, and the successive fouls change the atmosphere. He tries to prioritize fluid play, but the South African team is very physical.
ReplyDeleteAbout the card to Mexico: rather late intervention by AR2, I think he was waiting for something before. In my opinion the challenge can be assessed as reckless, but the fall by South African player is not natural, he used a bit the contact. Nevertheless, for me not a clear and obvious mistake. But should have been YC to South Africa in 21' because on a similar level of recklessness.
ReplyDeleteOt: Collina on the stadium.
ReplyDeleteGame has calmed since the water break
ReplyDeleteMissed offside by AR1
ReplyDeleteMissed corner for RSA
ReplyDeleteCan VAR interfere with that?
DeleteNo VAR can interfere only when the CK is wrongly given
DeleteNo only ones awarded wrongly
DeleteNo, only if there was incorrect corner awarded. They cannot intervene when there is wrong goal kick awarded
Delete@ugur B no only incorrect corner kicks as this was a goal kick var can not get involved, see comments above
DeleteI don’t like the fact the Sampaio uses the whistle for everything. He whistle for faults, for conflitcs, for corners, throw in, when he wants to delay the game, speak with a player… too much whistle of you ask me
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteOne thing that annoys me about Sampaio’s style, although it was a fairly solid 45 minutes from him, is that in my opinion he blows his whistle far too often at every stoppage. I know one reason is of course the new rules but still. It strongly differs from the European refereeing style, where the use of the whistle is kept to a minimum as much as possible. I do of course recognize that the training methods and refereeing style in general are likely very different in Brazil compared to Europe. But that’s the kind of observation that stuck in my mind, nothing against him personally
ReplyDeleteThe key moment of this first half was the first yellow card of the match. The Brazilian referee was forced by the circumstances to show it, given South Africa aggressive style of play and the fact that they had already committed a serie of fouls. Subsequently, the caution shown to the Mexican player can also certainly be supported.
ReplyDeleteHowever, if we want to make a deep analysis, it must be said that a stricter disciplinary approach would likely have resulted in additional yellow cards, such as the one in the 21st minute (which, in my view, was mandatory due to the ball being already kicked and the challenge from behind). Of course, this depends on how one chooses to interpret the match.
We are all well aware of the long-standing views regarding yellow cards in FIFA competitions, so at this stage the performance can be described still as satisfactory. However, if I am to speak of excellence in first half, that wouldn't be possible, also considering the overall level of the match (not really demanding).
We will see what happens in the second half. After Mexico goal, it looked asthe hosts might have an easy game, especially following the serious defensive mistake committed by South Africa. However, the match has remained balanced, meaning that the second half could still provide some challenges for the Brazilian referee.
Not the most convincing performance in the 1st half
ReplyDelete