Alireza Faghani had earlier officiated the group stage encounter between France and Senegal. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Colombia will take on Portugal in its final FIFA World Cup 2026 Group K encounter in the Miami Stadium on Saturday.

A draw will be enough for Los Cafeteros to finish top of the group thanks to back-to-back wins over Uzbekistan and DR Congo.

Who is Alireza Faghani and what is his refereeing record?

Alireza Faghani is an Australian referee who was born in Kashmar, Iran. The 48-year-old is based in Sydney and has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2008.

Faghani is one of the most experienced officials at the FIFA World Cup 2026. He has previously refereed at the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups and was also in charge of the men’s football final at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He was appointed referee for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 final between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea at MetLife Stadium.

Faghani has shown 1,589 yellow cards and 37 red cards in 439 matches, at an average of 3.62 yellow cards per game. Transfermarkt lists him as having overseen 22 matches in the 2025-26 season, issuing 86 yellow cards, one second yellow-red card and four penalties.

Full list of officials for Colombia vs Portugal match on June 27:

• Main referee: Alireza Faghani, Australia
• Assistant referee 1: George Lakrindis, Australia
• Assistant referee 2: James Lindsay, Australia
• Fourth official: Said Martinez, Honduras
• Reserve Assistant Referee: Walter Lopez, Honduras

Published on Jun 27, 2026