Argentine referee Facundo Tello to take charge of Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina opener

Facundo Tello will referee Canada’s opening 2026 World Cup group stage fixture against Bosnia and Herzegovina at BMO Field in Toronto on Friday, with kick-off set for 3pm local time (8pm UK).

The 44-year-old Argentine is no stranger to major tournaments, having officiated at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and, unusually for a non-European official, at Euro 2024. His appointment continues a run of high-profile international assignments that has established him as one of South America’s most trusted referees on the global stage.

Tello’s domestic record in Argentina carries one notorious footnote: he oversaw a Champions Trophy final between Boca Juniors and Racing Club in which he brandished ten red cards. His international record, however, tells a different story. He issued no red cards across his two matches at Euro 2024 — though nine yellows were shown — and none in seven games during South American World Cup qualifying, where he averaged 3.7 yellows per match. His sole sending-off at the 2022 World Cup came when Morocco’s Walid Cheddira received a second yellow card in the quarter-final against Portugal.

This season in domestic competition, Tello has taken charge of 14 games across all competitions, showing 67 yellow cards (4.78 per game) and just two red cards — one of which was for a second bookable offence — suggesting his Argentine league numbers are shaped as much by the division’s combative nature as by his own threshold.

Completing the officiating team, fellow Argentine Hernan Mastrangelo will serve as VAR lead, supported by Uruguay’s Antonio Garcia and Nicaragua’s Tatiana Guzman. Saudi Arabia’s Khalif Alturais and Mohammed Alabakry fill the fourth official and reserve assistant roles respectively.