While Colombia’s national team won’t be in the 2026 World Cup final, a Colombian will shine in football’s biggest match: referee Nicolás Gallo will serve as the VAR assistant in Sunday’s showdown between Argentina and Spain at 2:00 p.m. local time.
What role will Nicolás Gallo play in the final?
Colombian referee Nicolás Gallo, the only official from his country at the 2026 World Cup, will take on a key role as the VAR assistant in the final between Argentina and Spain. Gallo was already on the pitch for the tournament opener -Mexico 1-0 South Africa on June 11- and now closes the World Cup with this historic match.
FIFA named the officiating crew led by Slovenian Slavko Vincic, who refereed three games earlier, including Brazil 1-0 Morocco. Gallo, 39, will be Colombia’s sole representative in the final’s refereeing team, having already taken charge of group-stage and Round of 16 matches.
A Colombian in the grand final: what it means for local football
Gallo’s presence in the 2026 World Cup final is a milestone for Colombian refereeing. Though Colombia’s national team exited in the Round of 16 with a loss to Switzerland, the country still has a leading voice in the sport’s biggest stage through one of its top referees.
The clash between Argentina and Spain, set for Azteca Stadium, will halt the world. Gallo, who debuted at the 2018 World Cup, now returns for his second World Cup as a VAR assistant, further cementing his international reputation.
More Colombians at the World Cup: who else is alongside Gallo?
Beyond Gallo, Venezuelan referee Jesús Valenzuela will take charge of the third-place match between France and England on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. in Miami. Meanwhile, the main refereeing crew for the final features Slovenian Vincic and his assistants Tomaz Klancnik and Andraz Kovacic, with Jordanian Adham Makhadmeh serving as the fourth official.
Current context: how Colombia arrives at World Cup 2026
Colombia’s national team closed its 2026 World Cup run with a 3-0 win over Australia on November 19, 2025. In their last stretch, Los Cafeteros rattled off two straight victories after a draw and two consecutive wins (WWDWD over their last five games).
Currently, midfielder J. Córdoba remains sidelined, but the team stays in strong form with three wins in their last five outings. Colombian football, though absent from the final, remains a force in world refereeing.
