MEXICO CITY, June 19 — Romanian referee Istvan Kovacs has been chosen to officiate in the 1,000th match in the history of the FIFA World Cup, world football governing body FIFA said on Thursday.
Kovacs will take charge of the Group F encounter between Tunisia and Japan at Monterrey Stadium on Saturday, according to a FIFA statement. It added that he would be assisted by compatriots Ferencz Tunyogi and Mihai Marica, with Costa Ricans Juan Calderon and Juan Carlos Mora serving as fourth official and reserve assistant referee, respectively. FIFA chief refereeing officer and referees committee chairman Pierluigi Collina said Kovacs was chosen on regular criteria, despite the special occasion. “We selected the referee that we think is the best referee for this match,” Collina said. “And of course, by coincidence, he is also appointed for the 1,000th match. So, for him, it is something extra – something special on top. Refereeing a FIFA World Cup match is always a huge privilege, it’s a great honor,” said the Italian, who refereed the 2002 World Cup final between Brazil and Germany.
Kovacs, 41, was part of the match officials panel at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he served as fourth official eight times.
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