Wilton Pereira Sampaio sent off three players in the opening match between Mexico and South Africa. The referee from Goiás is now one red card short of matching the total from the 2022 World Cup.
In the match played on Thursday, Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0. Wilton Pereira Sampaio issued three red cards, two to South African players and one to a Mexican.
The Brazilian referee came close to the record of four expulsions seen across the entire 2022 World Cup. This was the opening game with the most red cards in World Cup history, surpassing the two expulsions in Argentina versus Cameroon in 1990.
On social media, Brazilian fans praised his performance and created memes about the referee’s audio equipment. Users called him a legend and highlighted how he handled the tense contest.
