Appointing a Portuguese refereeing team for the match between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait at the opening of the 27th Gulf

The Referees Committee of the Gulf Football Association announced the team of referees for the match between the Saudi and Kuwaiti national teams at the opening of the “Gulf 27” championship competitions on Wednesday at Al-Enmaa Stadium in Jeddah.

The committee assigned the management of the Saudi-Kuwait match to a refereeing team led by Portuguese Joao Pinheiro and assisted by his compatriot Pedro Ribeiro and Luciano Maya, while Qatari Mohammed Al-Shammari is the fourth official, while the video assistant referee technology crew includes both Chinese Fu Ming and Moroccan Hamza Al-Fariq.

Pineiro is 38 years old and has held the international badge from FIFA since 2016. He has a strong European and international CV, as he officiated several matches in the 2026 World Cup, most notably the match between Argentina and Switzerland in the quarter-finals.

The Portuguese referee also officiated the second leg before the Champions League final last season between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, as well as the 2025 European Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham.

Pinheiro sparked controversy during the World Cup after a shot with Argentine legend Lionel Messi, during which a conversation akin to an argument took place between them, before a direct free kick was taken for the Swiss national team, and Messi was standing as a defensive wall for Argentina.

Pineiro approached him to ask him to retreat to the legal distance, but the Portuguese referee's tone of voice and gestures did not please the Argentine star.

Camera lenses and lip readers captured Messi as he addressed the referee with emotion, directing decisive words to him: “Talk to me in a respectful manner, and do not disrespect me... I am speaking to you with respect, and you must respect me.”

Despite Messi's sharp tone, Pineiro maintained complete calm and contented himself with warning him verbally without flashing any colored cards in his face, and he continued managing the meeting normally.

The Portuguese referee recently commented on what happened between him and Messi, saying in local television statements: “What happened with Messi happens to other players on a regular basis in the stadiums, but because the matter specifically concerns Messi, he has received huge media attention.”

He added: “The referees talk to the players and the players talk to us, and the difference of opinions about some decisions and tone inside the green rectangle is normal and part of the excitement of football.”

Giovanni Malago, President of the Italian Football Federation, spoke about the fine imposed on Juventus after some fans in the stadium did not observe a minute of silence to mourn the death of Sandro Mazzola, saying, according to what was reported by the ANSA agency: “I think that we should not open a discussion that extends to an entire club or an entire stadium because of the actions of a few individuals. It seems to me that the reaction of the vast majority of those present to this incident was very strong, because such matters saddened everyone, starting with Juventus officials.”

Malago continued his speech during an event held in the city of Rapallo: “Are there problems in football? I think generalization is a mistake, as we cannot talk about football in general and abstract terms. If 20, 30, or 50 people boo in a stadium with 40,000 spectators... we also see that in other contexts related to values, such as schools. If there are some who commit acts that greatly displease us or even make us feel ashamed, then we certainly should not make a general judgment.”

In conclusion, regarding the Italian national team led by Mancini, he said: “Are we optimistic? “We are like that by nature, but more importantly, we should be like that.”

Francesco Totti, the legend of Roma and the Italian national team, revealed that Genoa and Como tried to sign him in 2024, seven years after his retirement, when he was 48 years old.

Sky Sports quoted Totti as saying on Tuesday: “I said no to Genoa and Como when I was 48 years old.”

He explained that Genoa was led by Alberto Gilardino, who won the World Cup with the Italian national team in 2006, while Spaniard Cesc Fabregas was Como's coach.

“Gilardino was 42 and Fabregas was 37, so I was six and 11 years older than them, respectively,” Totti said.

Totti revealed that Genoa officials were the first to contact him, explaining: “They asked me a simple question: Do you want to go through this new experience or not? They were serious. “I needed some time to make my decision, and before I could give them the answer, I started working very hard.”

He pointed out: “My head was saying that I could agree, but my heart said no. I was always asking myself: Can you really play for a team other than Roma?” I was 48, but age can be overcome. "You get slower, but your feet don't get old."

Totti concluded: “Roma was the key. Sports betrayal has no age, whether you are 18 or 48.”

Totti retired in 2017 after spending his entire career with Roma, where he scored 307 goals in 786 matches, and won the Italian League, the Italian Cup twice, and the Italian Super Cup twice. He also won the 2006 World Cup with Italy, scoring nine goals in 58 international matches.