FIFA has appointed Portuguese referee João Pinheiro to officiate Saturday’s 2026 FIFA quarterfinal between Argentina and Switzerland at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas Metropolis.
Pinheiro’s appointment has drawn consideration due to the controversy surrounding a few of his selections throughout final season’s UEFA Champions League semifinal. Saturday’s match will even be his first time officiating Argentina, whereas Switzerland will probably be taking part in beneath his supervision for the second time at this World Cup.
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Why Has João Pinheiro Been Criticized?
A lot of the criticism of Pinheiro comes from final season’s UEFA Champions League semifinal second leg between and .
Some of the talked-about moments got here when Bayern Munich appealed for a penalty after what seemed to be a handball by PSG midfielder contained in the field. Pinheiro waved play on, and the VAR officers didn’t ask him to assessment the incident on the pitchside monitor. The choice , membership officers and German media.
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Bayern Munich’s reacts after not getting a penalty from referee Joao Pinheiro through the UEFA Champions League second-leg, semifinal match between FC Bayern Munich and PSG on Might 6, 2026. (Photograph by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP through Getty Photos)
Earlier within the match, Pinheiro was additionally concerned in one other controversial incident. PSG defender , who had already been booked, initially appeared to concede a foul that would have resulted in a second yellow card. Nonetheless, after consulting his fourth official, Pinheiro as a substitute awarded a free kick to PSG for a disputed handball by Bayern’s , which means Mendes averted a possible pink card.
These selections have been probably the most debated refereeing moments of final season’s Champions League and have resurfaced after Pinheiro’s appointment for Argentina’s World Cup quarterfinal.
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João Pinheiro’s World Cup Report
Pinheiro has already officiated two matches on the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
His ‘s 4-1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina within the group stage. Throughout that match, he confirmed three yellow playing cards, despatched off Bosnia defender Tarik Mehremović and awarded Switzerland a late penalty.
He later took cost of the Spherical of 16 match between , the place he confirmed simply two yellow playing cards in a a lot calmer contest.
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Saturday’s match will probably be Pinheiro’s first-ever recreation involving Argentina.
So right now, each name made by João Pinheiro will possible come beneath intense scrutiny.
This story was initially revealed by on Jul 12, 2026, the place it first appeared within the part. Add Athlon Sports activities as a