Referee Juan Pinheiro appointed for Argentina versus Switzerland match

In the match between Portugal and Spain, João Félix was named as a starter, while Rafael Leão remained on the bench.

Juan Pinheiro will become the sixth Portuguese referee to officiate more than one match in the final stage of the FIFA World Cup. He will lead the first match of Matchday 16 between South Africa and Canada, which will take place on Sunday.

Details of his participation in the tournament

Pinheiro, who is 38 years old, debuted at the 2026 World Cup during Switzerland's 4-1 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. This match took place during the second round of Group B. Additionally, he served as a fourth official in the game between Morocco and Haiti, which was held in the third round of Group C, where the Moroccan team won 4-2.

Comparison with previous referees

Two appointments for Pinheiro in the final stage place him alongside referees such as Antonio Garrido (Spain 1982), Carlos Valente (Italy 1990), and Vitor Pereira (France 1998 and South Korea/Japan 2002). His achievements are surpassed only by two recent predecessors: Olegario Benquerença and the current president of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), Pedro Proença, who each led three matches in South Africa in 2010 and Brazil in 2014, respectively.

General tournament information

Portugal has not had a referee in the final stage of the World Cup for 12 years. The 23rd edition of the World Cup includes 52 appointed referees for 104 matches in the first final phase involving 48 national teams, which will take place until July 19 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.