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Will the Korea-Mexico showdown be one for the books or a booking bonanza?
Referee Gustavo Tejera has handed out an average of more than five yellow cards a game since 2015.
A Uruguayan referee known for his strictness, Gustavo Tejera, will take charge of Korea's second match at the FIFA 2026 World Cup, a Group A meeting with host Mexico on Thursday
FIFA, the international football governing body, named the match officials Tuesday. The match kicks off at 9 p.m. at Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico. Tejera will work alongside assistant referees Carlos Barreiro and Nicolas Taran, both from Uruguay, with Andres Rojas of Colombia as fourth official and fellow Colombian Alexander Guzman as reserve assistant referee.
All five officials are from Spanish-speaking South American countries, a first language they have in common with Mexico.
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Tejera is the one to watch. He has overseen 344 matches and shown 1,733 yellow cards, about five a game, and 44 red cards, according to the football statistics site Transfermarkt. Those figures mark him as a relatively strict referee.
Hong Myung-bo's Korea will need to maintain discipline against Mexico. The tournament's opening match, a 2-0 Mexico win over South Africa, produced three red cards; two for South Africa and one for Mexico.
Born in 1988, Tejera has officiated since 2015 and became a FIFA international referee in 2018. Away from football, he works as an insurance broker. He has handled World Cup qualifiers for the South American Football Confederation, the 2023 FIFA Under-17 World Cup, last year's Under-20 World Cup and the confederation's club competitions, the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana.
Stuck at work or school when Korea kicks off? We've got you covered. The Korea JoongAng Daily is live-blogging every Korea match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, around the clock. Don't miss a moment.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PIH JU-YOUNG [[email protected]]