With two days remaining before Mexico and South Korea face off for the top spot in Group A—a match that will largely determine their path in the Round of 32—the Asian press is already heating up the build-up. Attention has turned to the appointment of Uruguayan referee Gustavo Tejera, who is set to officiate the match at Guadalajara Stadium (Akron) on June 18, 2026, at 7:00 PM.
The newspaper Sports Chosun reports that Korean fans are unhappy with FIFA’s choice of Tejera. They fear the South Korean team will be at a disadvantage due to potential communication barriers with the referee, arguing that it would have been fairer to select an official who speaks a language neutral to both teams.
The paper notes that only Lee Kang-in would be able to communicate with Tejera in Spanish—a language all Mexican players speak fluently—viewing this as a disadvantage for the Koreans. They cite their previous match against the Czech Republic, which was officiated by an Egyptian referee, as a point of comparison.
The complaints are not directed at the Uruguayan referee himself, but rather at the perceived unfairness of the opponent sharing a language with the official. However, it is worth noting that South Korea has a strong track record in World Cup matches officiated by Spanish speakers.
South Korea’s first-ever World Cup victory came in 2002 against Poland (2–0), officiated by Colombian referee Óscar Ruiz. They subsequently defeated Portugal (1–0) under Argentine referee Ángel Sánchez, and later beat Italy (2–1) in the Round of 16 with Ecuadorian referee Byron Moreno in charge.
Twenty years later, South Korea achieved the “Miracle of Doha” by defeating Portugal 2–1 to advance to the Round of 16; that match was officiated by Argentine referee Facundo Tello. South Korea’s only previous encounter with a Uruguayan referee dates back to the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland, when they were defeated by Türkiye (7–0) with Esteban Marino officiating.
Source: msn
