Wilton Sampaio has been selected by FIFA to referee the World Cup Quarter-Final clash between England and France this Saturday at 7pm.
It will be the 40-year-old’s fourth game as a referee at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and supporters should expect to see plenty of yellow cards in the encounter between England and France.
Who is Wilton Sampaio?
Well, this Saturday’s clash between England and France represents a significant moment for Wilton Pereira Sampaio.
The Brazilian made a name for himself at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where he was tasked with overseeing the Video Assistant Referee technology, which was a new introduction at the time.
It was a significant moment, as VAR is not used in Brazilian football – he excelled in the VAR seminars, impressing FIFA enough to earn the call.
Sampaio ensured things ran smoothly, receiving praise for how VAR was used, and he has now been recalled by FIFA to referee things on the pitch this time in Qatar.
Before his big break in Russia, the South American had only ever refereed international matches at Under-15 and Under-17 level, while also officiating regularly in the Brasileirão Série A.
Sampaio, as aforesaid, is no stranger to handing out bookings.
Remarkably – as shown by WhoScored – the Brazilian averages five yellow cards per game in the Brasileirão Série A, and has brandished a total of 105 bookings and four red cards in just 21 games in Brazil’s equivalent to the Premier League.
One chaotic sequence in particular saw Sampaio officiate three Copa Libertadores matches last season, producing 14 yellow cards and one red card.
In his three appearances at the 2022 World Cup so far, Sampaio has handed out ten yellow cards – an average of 3.33 per game – while also awarding 24.7 fouls per game, again according to WhoScored.
Referee Profile
First name: Wilton
Last name: Pereira Sampaio
Nationality: Brazil
Date of birth: 21 December 1981
Age: 40
Country of birth: Brazil
England must be careful against France
Clearly, the man in charge of England’s clash with France has no hesitation in getting his cards out.
As a result, Gareth Southgate must instruct his side to be professional and disciplined against France, as we could quite easily have a repeat of Wayne Rooney and David Beckham’s infamous dismissals on the world stage.
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