Nestor Pitana is the referee of the Opening Match of 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia
The referee who will have the honor to judge on the Opening Match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup between Russia and Saudi Arabia on June 12th at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow is Nestor Pitana from Argentina. His compatriots Hernan Maidana and Juan Pablo Bellati will be assisting him together with Sandro Ricci from Brazil who has been designated as the fourth official.
The referees of the Video Assistant Referee teams are Massimiliano Irrati from Italy (VAR), Mauro Vigliano from Argentina (AVAR1), Carlos Astroza from Chile (AVAR2) and Daniele Orsato from Italy (AVAR3).
Nestor Pitana is one of the most experienced referees of South America. He is set to become the second referee coming from Argentina to participate in two World Cups after Norberto Coerezza. His debut was in back in 2007 in the Argentinean League and in 2010, Pitana officiated his first international match.
At the previous World Cup in 2014, Brazil he oversaw four fixtures including France-Germany in the quarterfinals.
He was the man in the middle for the semi-final between Germany and Nigeria in Brazil 2016 for the Olympic Football Tournament. Pitana was involved in another semi-final but this one a year later, in 2017. It was the semi-final in the FIFA Confederations Cup between Germany and Mexico.
FIFA World Cup Russia
