Wilton Pereira Sampaio among candidates to referee World Cup final
Brazilian referee Wilton Pereira Sampaio is on the shortlist of 13 officials being considered to oversee the 2026 World Cup final.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0 / Author: Zakarie Faibis
Brazilian official Wilton Pereira Sampaio is currently among the 13 referees being considered by FIFA to officiate the 2026 World Cup final. The tournament's decisive match is scheduled to take place on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Sampaio has already overseen three matches during this tournament: the opening game between South Africa and Mexico, the group stage clash between Norway and Senegal, and the Round of 16 encounter between the Netherlands and Morocco. If selected for the final, he could become only the third referee in history to officiate both the opening and closing matches of the same World Cup.
The path for Sampaio opened following the elimination of the Brazilian national team, as FIFA regulations prohibit referees from officiating matches involving teams from their own country. However, a potential obstacle remains: FIFA typically avoids selecting referees from the same continent as the participating finalists to ensure absolute impartiality. Should Argentina reach the final, Sampaio's chances would significantly diminish as he represents CONMEBOL.
The Brazilian referee faces stiff competition from officials representing the other five confederations, including Poland's Szymon Marciniak and Venezuela's Jesús Valenzuela. FIFA is expected to announce the final selection only after the conclusion of the semi-finals, once the two finalists are officially confirmed.