The referee for the match between Australia and Egypt is Gustavo Tejera, a Uruguayan who has already made his debut in the 2026 World Cup, where he showed he could maintain control and keep the players disciplined during his first match, issuing only 2 yellow cards.
Tejera is a referee with more than enough experience; although this is his first World Cup, the match between Australia and Egypt, which will be played in a large city and stadium, shouldn’t pose a major problem for him, as he currently holds a low average of cards per match in this tournament.
Being a Round of 32 match, it is obvious that it could be intense. Australia and Egypt need a good result since a draw or a defeat are not options. Tejera is a referee with more than one hundred matches officiated in his career.
Tejera’s experience as a referee
When speaking of debutant referees in a World Cup, Tejera’s name stands out among many others in the tournament, but with 148 matches as a referee and having worked in the South American WC Qualifiers, he has more than enough experience to be invited to this big FIFA tournament.
Tejera during his first World Cup match (Getty Images/David Ramos)
His debut in the Group Stage during the match between Mexico and South Korea never got out of hand for him; there were only 16 fouls, the two previously mentioned yellow cards, and no penalties or VAR reviews, which left him in good standing after his first match.
It is a good thing that Australia, entering the match with a good FIFA Ranking, has a referee for this game who understands physical play, as Egypt will likely not stop attacking from the very first minute, trying to score a quick goal to take the lead.
