Who Is the Referee In Mexico vs South Korea World Cup Game?

As the second round of matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway, co-hosts Mexico will take on South Korea at Guadalajara Stadium on Friday in what could prove to be a very important Group A clash for both sides.

With the Czech Republic and South Africa drawing their second match earlier and sitting third and fourth in the group, respectively, a victory for either side tonight would put them another step closer to the knockout stage.

Talking about their previous match, both teams enjoyed a perfect start to the World Cup, securing all three points.

While Mexico kicked off their tournament by defeating 2010 World Cup hosts South Africa 2-0 and launched themselves to the top of Group A, South Korea earned a 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic to keep pace with their group rival.

Both teams have also enjoyed good form before the tournament. South Korea had an impressive run winning won six of its last eight matches in all competitions, while Mexico are unbeaten in its last nine games, securing seven wins and two draws.

Who are the Officials for Mexico vs South Korea?

The referee for Mexico vs. South Korea FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage match is Uruguayan official Gustavo Tejera.

Tejera majorly officiates in Uruguay's domestic league, Liga AUF Uruguaya, and also in South American CONMEBOL tournaments (Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana). He has also made guest appearances in the Saudi Pro League.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup marks his official debut refereeing at a World Cup finals.

As for his record as an official, the-38-year old has brandished over 1,700 yellow cards in roughly 344 matches averaging 5.10 to 5.24 per game.

He averages 0.15 red cards per match and has sent off 62 players, handing out a red card in nearly a third of his matches.

In his final two club matches right before joining the 2026 World Cup, Tejera flashed 12 yellow cards.

The officiating team consists of the following match officials:

• Referee: Gustavo Tejera (Uruguay)
• Assistant Referee 1: Carlos Barreiro (Uruguay)
• Assistant Referee 2: Nicolas Taran (Uruguay)
• Fourth Official: Andres Rojas (Colombia)
• Reserve Assistant Referee: Alexander Guzman (Colombia)

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This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 8:45 PM.