World Cup Wilton Sampaio, who is the referee of the reds in Mexico-South Africa

He was the protagonist in the opening match of the World Cup. Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio ended up on the cover after the three reds drawn: two for South Africa, one for Mexico. But not only that. The whistle’s exploits also went viral for the accessories he wore during the match and for an Englishman… with a limp.

the expulsion and… English

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But let’s go in order. With a few minutes remaining, South African winger Zwane slapped a Mexico player in the face. At first Sampaio didn’t realize it and was called back to the VAR, later making the decision to expel him. And here it went viral. As South Africa fans and staff protested, the Brazilian referee explained his decision in revisable English. So much so that the players themselves, on the pitch, seemed confused by the explanation.

the accessories

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Then the accessories. The real novelty of this World Cup concerns the eye-catching camera above the race director’s left ear. This is the Ref Cam that we have already known in Serie A, with the difference that the referees in our championship wear it above the microphone and, therefore, have one ear uncovered. Here, however, it is different. At the World Cup the two accessories are separated, creating a picturesque mosaic of accessories. For this equipment used in the event in North America, FIFA relied on the Lenovo company and asked to create software to reduce vibrations during the referee’s movement, thus making the images as stable as possible