Who is Wilton Sampaio, the referee for the Venezuela - Canada 2024 Copa América match?

Brazilian match official Wilton Sampaio will be in charge of this evening’s 2024 Copa América quarter final between Venezuela and Canada in Arlington, Texas - the second match of the knockout round with defending champions Argentina booking their place in the semi-final after beating Ecuador on penalties yesterday.

Tournament newbies Canada have never made it this far - which is understandable as it’s their first time at the Copa América. They will be attempting to defy the odds by beating a Venezuela side that up until now, have looked like they mean business.

Sampaio’s second Copa América

This will be the second match of 2024 Copa América that Wilton Sampaio has overseen and the second time he has been involved at the tournament. He was in charge of one of the first games in Group A between Peru and Chile, which ended without goals but no shortage of complaints about the refereeing from La Roja. The Chilean Federation even sent a formal complaint to the tournament organizers to voice their unhappiness with some of the Brazilian ref’s decisions.

It wasn’t the first time that Sampaio has caused controversy. He had England fans, and players Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane in despair for his handling of the 2022 World Cup quarter final against France - a performance which the Bayern striker described afterwards as “awful, really awful”.

Who is Wilton Sampaio?

Born in Teresina de Goiás, Sampaio started refereeing game when he was 15 years old, gaining his professional license in 2000 when he was still a teenager. After making his way up through Brazil’s lower leagues, he made his top flight in November 2007, overseeing the Week 35 Série A game between América and Botafogo.

By 2009 he was getting regular assignments in both of the top two tiers, officiating in 11 Série A games that season and 20 in the following one. He gained his FIFA license in 2013 and was handed his assigned his first international in June of the following year - a friendly between Iran and Trinidad and Tobago.

On the domestic front he was put in charge of the 2012 Copa do Brasil final between Palmeiras and Coritiba - the first of 11 finals that he has refereed during his professional career.

He was a member of the VAR team, when the technology was first used at a World Cup at Russia 2018, and was involved in four games at the last World Cup including the Last 16 clash between the Netherlands and the USMNT as well as England’s quarter final defeat to France.

Out on the pitch, Sampaio has a reputation for not taking any nonsense and if things start to get physical or out of hand, then he will have no qualms about dishing out bookings. During the previous Copa América in 2021, his debut at the tournament, he issued 10 yellow cards in two games.

Which pretty much ties in with his overall career figures: in just under 500 games, he has handed out a total of 2,411 bookings, sent off 76 players for a second offense and shown 65 direct reds. As for penalties given, he is currently one short of reaching 150.

Venezuela - Canada: start time, how to watch

The 2024 Copa América quarter-final between Venezuela and Canada takes place today, Friday 5 July 2024, with kick-off at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas scheduled for 9 p.m. EDT/6 p.m. PDT. Viewers in the United States can watch the game on Fox Network, TUDN USA, Univisión and ViX, while you can also stream the action on fuboTV, which offers a free trial.

Who are Sampaio’s assistant referees? Who is on VAR duty?

Sampaio will be accomapied by a team of four officials in Arlingron. His assistant referees will be fellow Brazilians Bruno Raphael Pires and Bruno Boschilia, along with fourth official Juan Benítez from Paraguay. The video assistant referee (VAR) will be Rodolpho Toski Marques, and the assistant VAR will be Daniel Nobre Bins (Brazil).

The two nations have never met each other in either official competition, although both have played team from their respective, rival confederations. Venezuela have played numerous games against teams from the CONCACAF region - primarily, against Mexico (won two, lost 14, drawn four) and Costa Rica (four wins in 16 encounters).

Celebrating their centenary this year, Canada have had less contact with CONMEBOL teams having participated in just two World Cups. There have been four meetings with Brazil (two defeats, two draws), five against Chile (one win, two defeats, two draws), three against Colombia (one wins and two defeats) and two against Uruguay (both defeats).