Alireza Faghani to referee Portugal vs Colombia in World Cup 2026 Group K clash

Australian referee Alireza Faghani has been appointed to oversee Portugal vs Colombia in Group K of the 2026 World Cup at Hard Rock Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 12:30am British time on Sunday morning.

Faghani will be assisted by fellow Australians George Lakrindis and James Lindsay as his assistant referees. Honduran official Said Martinez takes the fourth official role, with Walter Lopez serving as reserve assistant referee.

The appointment comes with some recent baggage. Faghani was a focal point of controversy during France’s 3-1 victory over Senegal at this tournament, after he declined to award what many observers considered a clear penalty involving Kylian Mbappe.

Despite that flashpoint, Faghani’s broader record is one of the most distinguished in international refereeing. He officiated the 2018 World Cup quarter-final between France and Argentina — widely regarded as one of the greatest matches in the tournament’s history — a pulsating 4-3 victory for Argentina that featured eight bookings and a penalty inside the opening quarter of an hour.

More recently, he took charge of Chelsea’s 3-0 demolition of PSG in the FIFA Club World Cup final in the United States, another high-profile occasion he navigated without major incident.

Across his career, Faghani has refereed 119 A-League matches, 62 AFC Champions League Elite fixtures, and three Olympic Games encounters. His booking average exceeds four cards per match, a figure that underlines his willingness to police games firmly.

On the pitch, the stakes are clear. Portugal arrive on four points, two behind Colombia’s six, meaning only a win will do if Cristiano Ronaldo’s side are to claim top spot in Group K. Ronaldo has already found the net at this tournament and will be pushing to climb the Golden Boot standings further.