Brazilian Referee Steals the Spotlight in World Cup Opener

The 2026 World Cup opened on Friday with Mexico beating South Africa 2-0, but the match was dominated by Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio. He became the main talking point online after issuing three red cards in a chaotic opener that many said would be remembered for years.

South Africa’s Yaia Sitole was sent off first for stopping a clear scoring chance. Sampaio then went to the VAR monitor and dismissed South Africa’s Themba Zwane after a challenge that struck Roberto Alvarado in the face. The decision sparked immediate debate, with commentators Ali McCoist and Landon Donovan saying they were surprised and arguing it was a difficult call.

Deep into stoppage time, Sampaio showed a third red card, this time to Mexico defender Cesar Montes, ruling that he had denied an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. Social media users praised the referee in a joking tone, calling him the “star of the match” and “legendary.”

The article said this was the first time in World Cup history that an opening match ended with three red cards. The result left Mexico on top of Group A with three points and a plus-two goal difference, while South Africa finished the first matchday without points and with a minus-two difference.