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Brazilian Referee Goes Viral After Three Red Cards in World Cup Opener
How 4 Israeli newsrooms covered this story — translated into English and compared side by side.
75% centerFirst reported by Walla · Jun 12, 2026
Center 3Right 1
What happened
Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio went viral after issuing three red cards in Mexico’s 2-0 World Cup 2026 opener against South Africa at the Azteca Stadium. The three dismissals, including two South Africans and Mexico captain Cesar Montes, made tournament history and triggered a wave of memes over his headset and English.
- 01Wilton Sampaio issued three straight red cards in the World Cup opener.
- 02Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
- 03It was the first time a World Cup opening match had three red cards.
- 04Sampaio’s VAR review and broken English also went viral online.
- 05The 2006 Portugal-Netherlands match still holds the red-card record.
Summary translated & synthesized from the sources below by baba. Read each original for the full report.
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