FIFA has appointed a Portuguese officiating team to oversee the 2026 World Cup quarter-final between Argentina and Switzerland.
The match is scheduled for Saturday, July 11, at Kansas City Stadium, with Joao Pinheiro named as the centre referee.
Pinheiro will be supported by fellow Portuguese officials Bruno Jesus and Luciano Maia as Assistant Referee 1 and Assistant Referee 2. Canada’s Drew Fischer will serve as the fourth official, while compatriot Michael Barwegen has been selected as reserve assistant referee.
FIFA announced the appointments on Thursday, continuing its policy of assigning referees from countries not represented in the matches they officiate.
The governing body has avoided selecting officials from participating nations for fixtures involving their own teams during both the group and knockout stages.
Earlier, FIFA appointed an all-Argentine officiating crew for the quarter-final between France and Morocco, a decision that attracted criticism from some fans because Argentina remained in the competition and could potentially meet either team later in the tournament.
Facundo Tello served as referee for that match, alongside Juan Pablo Belatti and Gabriel Chade as assistants, with Dario Herrera as fourth official and Cristian Navarro as reserve assistant referee.
