'The referee from the World Cup four years ago' blows the whistle for the final group stage match of Hong Myung-bo's team... Confirmed as the main referee for the South Africa match

*This content was translated by AI.

The main referee for the final group stage match between Hong Myung-bo's team and South Africa, whose fate hangs in the balance, has been confirmed.

The South Korean national football team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will face South Africa in the final group stage match of the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup Group A at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, at 10 a.m. on the 25th (Korean time).

The main referee for this match, as announced by FIFA, is Facundo Tello, an Argentine referee.

Referee Tello remains a pleasant memory for South Korean football fans. He was the main referee who blew the whistle during the final group stage match against Portugal at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. At that time, South Korea achieved a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory thanks to Hwang Hee-chan's last-minute goal, advancing to the round of 16 for the first time in 12 years.

The officiating crew that brought good fortune to South Korea will once again oversee the final group stage match of the World Cup, where the fate of the Han Beon (CEO) team hangs in the balance, four years later. The assistant referees for this match also include Gabriel Chader, who worked alongside Tello during the Portugal match, along with Juan Pablo Belatti and other Argentine officials. The fourth official and reserve assistant referees are Colombian nationals Andres Rojas and Alexander Guzman.

However, Tello's strict tendency to issue cards is an element that Hong Myung-bo's team must be cautious of. According to the statistics specialist media 'Transfermarkt', Tello averages more than five cards per match. Just before the Qatar World Cup, during the final of the Argentine Cup, he sent off as many as 10 players in a single match, drawing worldwide attention.

In fact, Referee Tello has issued more than 1,600 cautions and over 130 send-offs in more than 320 official matches in his career. The average is five yellow cards and 0.4 red cards per match. Notably, Tello also issued five cautions in the Canada and Bosnia matches of this tournament, and he previously gave yellow cards to Lee Kang-in and Hwang Hee-chan during the 2022 match against South Korea, so the team must be careful to avoid unnecessary cautions.

Currently sitting in second place in Group A with one win and one loss (three points), South Korea will secure second place in the group and advance to the round of 32 regardless of the results of the Czech Republic and Mexico matches, as long as they draw against South Africa.

Conversely, if they lose, they face a complex scenario where they could drop to third or fourth place in the group and face the risk of elimination. South Africa, currently at the bottom of the group with one draw and one loss (one point), is also in a desperate situation where they must defeat South Korea without exception. If South Korea loses to South Africa and the Czech Republic defeats Mexico, South Africa would be ranked third and South Korea would fall to last place based on the head-to-head rule.

Tello's strict officiating style is also a variable for South Africa. Having committed 21 fouls in their first two matches and having two players sent off in the Mexico match, South Africa's rough play style could be turned against them by Tello's strict tendencies. Avoiding unnecessary cautions or send-offs through smart match management will be a key variable in determining the outcome.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.