Pierluigi Collina, Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, announced that the refereeing crew for the match between Tunisia and Japan in the 2026 World Cup will wear shirts bearing “golden ribbons,” describing that match as “historic.”

FIFA decided to appoint Romanian referee Istvan Kovac to officiate the match between Tunisia and Japan at Monterrey Stadium on June 21.

Kovac will be assisted in the task of refereeing this match by his compatriots Ferenc Tonoje and Mihai Marica, while Costa Ricans Juan Calderon and Juan Carlos Moura will act as the fourth official and reserve assistant referee.

Tunisia’s next match against Japan will be the 1000th match in the history of the FIFA World Cup.

Colina handed over a special adidas shirt to referee Kovac, bearing gold stripes on the sleeves and a sticker commemorating the occasion, with the phrase “Match 1000” appearing on it.

Pierluigi Collina, Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, said that despite the honor this appointment entails, it was made exclusively based on the usual criteria for choosing the best referee for the match.

He said: “We chose a referee based on our conviction that he is the best for this match, and by coincidence he was the referee of the 1000th match, and for him, this is something special, as officiating a World Cup match is always a huge honor and a great privilege.”
He continued, saying: “There is no doubt that it is very special to be a part of football history and the history of the World Cup, and to be appointed to manage the 1000th match and be present on the field in it. We decided to provide a special kit for this match, bearing golden details, which are ribbons and a sticker on which the championship trophy and the number 1000 appear.” (Erm News)