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Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio volition instrumentality complaint of the opening lucifer of the FIFA World Cup 2026 between Mexico and South Africa, starring a three-man Brazil squad for the curtain-raiser successful Mexico City.
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Compatriots Bruno Pires and Bruno Boschilia will beryllium Sampaio's assistants in Thursday’s (June 11, 2026) Group A inaugural clash astatine the Estadio Azteca.
Sampaio besides officiated matches astatine the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and was portion of the video adjunct referee (VAR) squad erstwhile it was introduced astatine the 2018 variation successful Russia. FIFA has assembled a record excavation of lucifer officials — 52 referees and 88 assistant referees — for the expanded 48-team tournament. The United States has denied introduction to 1 referee, nevertheless — Omar Abdulkadir Artan of Somalia — who had been expected to beryllium the archetypal Somali to officiate astatine a lucifer successful the World Cup.
Referee appointments for each crippled are typically announced two to 3 days successful advance.
