England-France referee Wilton Sampaio in line for World Cup final despite criticism
Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio, who refereed the quarter-final between England and France on Saturday, is set to take charge of the World Cup final.
Sampaio was heavily criticized for his performance as England lost 2-1 to France.
England defender Harry Maguire called his display “really poor”, while Jude Bellingham said Sampaio was “not great”.
They felt some decisions went against England, notably when appeals for a first-half penalty were dismissed following a challenge against Harry Kane.
But Sampaio is in the frame to referee the final, alongside England official Anthony Taylor. Michael Oliver was sent home despite a decisive quarter-final performance between Brazil and Croatia.
England stars such as Jude Bellingham strongly criticized Wilton Sampaio’s performance
/ ReutersItalian referee Daniele Orsato will officiate the first semi-final between Argentina and Croatia on Tuesday. FIFA is expected to announce on Monday the referee for the other semi-final between Morocco and France.
The first female World Cup referee, Stephanie Frappart, has also returned home as the pool is understandably small with fewer matches to work on.
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