Joao Pinheiro appointed referee for Saudi Arabia v Kuwait in Khaleeji 27 opener

Portuguese referee Joao Pinheiro has been selected to take charge of the opening match of Khaleeji 27 between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in Jeddah.

The tournament’s refereeing committee has appointed Pinheiro for the fixture, which is scheduled to take place at Alinma Stadium. Khaleeji 27 begins on Wednesday when Saudi Arabia face Kuwait at King Abdullah Sports City, known as “the Jewel”, in Jeddah.

Pinheiro has held FIFA international status since 2016 and is classified in UEFA’s elite refereeing category. He was the referee for the 2025 UEFA Super Cup meeting between Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham.

He also officiated the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League semi-final between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.

The Portuguese official was among the referees involved at the 2026 World Cup, where he took charge of the quarter-final between Argentina and Switzerland.

That match included a notable incident involving Lionel Messi. Television cameras and lip-readers appeared to show the Argentina captain reprimanding Pinheiro during the game.

“Speak to me with respect, don’t disrespect me… I spoke to you respectfully,” Messi was reported to have told the referee.

Saudi Arabia’s group at Khaleeji 27 also includes Iraq, Kuwait and Oman. The teams finishing first and second will qualify for the semi-finals.

The tournament will continue until 7 October.