Who is Jesús Valenzuela, the referee for Brazil - Colombia in the Copa América today?

On the final day of the group stage at the 2024 Copa América, Venezuelan referee Jesús Valenzuela is to take charge of the heavyweight match-up between Brazil and Colombia, as the Seleção seek to join Los Cafeteros in the quarter-finals.

What do Brazil need to qualify?

Already through after taking six points from six in Group D, the Colombians will make sure of top spot if they avoid defeat on matchday three today. The Brazilians, meanwhile, need a draw to be certain of qualifying for the last eight and must win to top the group. Dorival Júnior’s men have earned four points from their first two games at the Copa América, leaving them second behind Colombia.

Only the top two in each group progress to the quarter-finals of the 16-team tournament, which is being hosted by the United States.

Group D’s third-placed team, Costa Rica, are three points behind Brazil with a considerably inferior goal difference - so the five-time world champions are well placed to finish second even if they lose.

Group D standings ahead of matchday three:

Who is Jesús Valenzuela?

Valenzuela is refereeing at his third Copa América. He is an official who brings back unhappy memories for Colombia, as he was the man in the middle for the team’s penalty shootout defeat to eventual tournament winners Argentina in the 2021 semi-finals.

Brazil vs Colombia will be the second game that Valenzuela has overseen at the 2024 Copa América. His first was also a high-profile appointment: the 40-year-old was handed the tournament’s opening game, which saw Argentina begin their title defence by beating Canada 2-0 in Group A.

In the four Copa América run-outs of his career so far, Valenzuela has averaged 5.25 yellow cards per game - a figure skewed slightly by the fact that 10 of his total 21 bookings came in Colombia’s semi-final loss to Argentina. He is yet to send a single player off at the tournament.

In Argentina’s win over Canada on June 20, Valenzuela and his team of officials faced criticism for failing to punish Canadian Moïses Bombito for a reckless challenge on Albiceleste superstar Lionel Messi. However, some internet users went too far in venting their fury at Bombito’s tackle, subjecting the defender, who is Black, to racist slurs. Canada Soccer said it was “deeply disturbed” by the messages received by the 24-year-old, adding in a statement that it was working with international soccer’s governing bodies to probe the abuse. Copa América organisers CONMEBOL condemned “intolerant attitudes” shown by users whose identities are hidden behind social-media handles.

World Cup referee two years ago

A referee who made his domestic top-flight debut in 2011, Valenzuela has become an established presence in South America’s continental club game. Indeed, he is approaching 50 appearances in the Copa Libertadores, South America’s elite club competition. In the continent’s second-tier tournament, the Copa Sudamericana, he has refereed two finals: Defensa y Justicia’s 3-0 victory over fellow Argentinians Lanús in 2020, and a shootout win for Ecuadorians LDU Quito over Brazil’s Fortaleza in 2023.

In global international soccer, Valenzuela was among the referees at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he ran the rule over two games: England’s 0-0 group-stage draw with the USMNT, and France’s 3-1 last-16 victory over Poland.

Brazil vs Colombia: start time, how to watch

The Group D matchday-three clash between Brazil and Colombia takes place today, Tuesday July 2, 2024, with kick-off at Levi’s Stadium scheduled for 9pm ET/6pm PT. Viewers in the US will be able to watch the game on Fox Sports 1, TUDN USA, Univision and ViX. You’ll also have the option of streaming the action on fuboTV, which offers users a free trial.

Enjoy Brazil vs Colombia on fubo.

You can follow live-text commentary of Brazil and Colombia, right here at AS USA. Will Gittins will be building up to the match from around 90 minutes ahead of kick-off in California, before offering minute-by-minute coverage of the action.

Who are Jesús Valenzuela’s assistant referees? Who is the VAR?

Valenzuela’s assistant referees will be compatriots Jorge Urrego and Alberto Ponte, and the fourth and fifth official swill be Ecuador’s Augusto Aragón and Christian Lescano, respectively. The video assistant referee (VAR) will be Argentina’s Mauro Vigliano, and the assistant VAR will be Peru’s Jon Ny Bossio.