Who is César Ramos, the referee for Uruguay - Colombia in the Copa América 2024?

The 2024 Copa América is nearing its conclusion, with Argentina already through to the final after Julian Álvarez and Lionel Messi netted in a semifinal win over Canada on Tuesday. The reigning world champions will face the winners of Wednesday’s second last-four clash between Uruguay and Colombia, with the stakes incredibly high in Charlotte.

Meet Cesar Ramos, referee for Uruguay vs Colombia

The man tasked with keeping things under control in Uruguay vs Colombia is César Ramos, a seasoned Mexican professional referee. Born in Culiacán in 1983, César Arturo Ramos Palazuelos (to give him his full name) knew his European roots from the very beginning. His mother hailed from France and his father from Portugal, but they emigrated to Mexico just a year before his birth.

Ramos made his debut as a professional referee in October 2006, when he officiated a Primera División A (Mexican second tier) match between Zacatepec and Santos Laguna.

Less than five years later, at the start of 2011, he took up a position in a top division game for the first time, serving as the fourth official in a match between San Luis and Puebla. And later that year, he was the main man in the middle for the top-tier fixture between Monterrey and Tijuana. That game would see Ramos show his first yellow and then red card, with Fernando Arce and Mariano Trujillo on the respective receiving ends.

By 2014, Ramos was recognised as a full international referee by FIFA and since then has officiated in competitions including the CONCACAF Champions League, the 2018 World Cup and the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. He notably took the whistle for the 2017 FIFA Club World Cup Final between Real Madrid and Gremio, and also for the semi-final match between France and Morocco in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Uruguay - Colombia: VAR and assistant referees

The officiating team helping Ramos includes the important Video Assistant Referee, Carlos Orbe, who is from Ecuador. Here is the full officiating team for Uruguay vs Colombia:

When is the Uruguay - Colombia Copa América semifinal?

The second Copa América 2024 semifinal between Uruguay and Colombia will be played on Wednesday July 10 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Caroline. Kick off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.

How can I watch Uruguay vs Colombia?

You can watch the game in the United States on TUDN USA, TUDN App, TUDN.com, Univision, Univision NOW, Fox Sports 1, FOX Sports App, Foxsports.com and ViX.

You can also watch a live stream of the game on fuboTV (free trial available).

Uruguay and Colombia qualified for the knockout rounds as group winners, while both teams have recorded 5-0 victories (against Bolivia and Panama respectively), the joint biggest wins in the tournament so far. While Uruguay have won the Copa América 15 times (a record they share with Argentina), Colombia have only one triumph to their name (2001).