Joao Pinheiro to referee Saudi Arabia v Qatar Gulf Cup 27 semi-final

Joao Pinheiro will referee Saturday’s Gulf Cup 27 semi-final between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, returning to the spotlight after a reported exchange with Lionel Messi and several controversial decisions in European and international football.

The match will take place at Alinma Stadium at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, with both teams competing for a place in the tournament final.

Saudi Arabia reached the last four as Group A winners with a perfect record. They began with a 1-0 victory over Kuwait, followed that with a 3-0 win against Oman and completed the group stage by beating Iraq 2-0.

Qatar finished second in Group B on seven points, level with the United Arab Emirates, who topped the section on goal difference. The reigning Gulf champions defeated Bahrain 2-0 and Yemen 1-0 before drawing 1-1 with the UAE.

Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadiyah reported that Pinheiro had been appointed to take charge of the semi-final. The Portuguese official also refereed Saudi Arabia’s meeting with Kuwait in the opening round of Gulf Cup 27.

Pinheiro, 38, has held FIFA international status since 2016 and has overseen a number of significant matches in European and international competitions.

He was among the referees at the 2026 World Cup, where one of his most prominent assignments was Argentina’s quarter-final against Switzerland. Argentina won that match 3-1 after extra time.

During the game, Pinheiro became involved in a heated exchange with Messi after the Argentina captain objected to the referee’s manner of speaking to him. Messi gestured towards the official and asked him to show respect.

Media reports of the conversation said Messi told Pinheiro to speak to him appropriately, adding that he was treating the referee in the same way.

Pinheiro did not show Messi a card. He later said exchanges of that nature were a normal part of conversations between referees and players, but acknowledged that the presence of a player of Messi’s stature had attracted considerable attention.

The Portuguese referee has also faced criticism for a decision during the second leg of the Champions League semi-final between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain. Bayern appealed for a penalty after a handball inside the area, but Pinheiro chose not to award one.

Another notable assignment came at the 2026 World Cup, when he officiated Switzerland’s group-stage match against Bosnia. The game included the dismissal of Bosnia defender Tarik Muhrimovic and several decisions that drew attention.

Pinheiro will now take charge of a decisive match in Jeddah as Saudi Arabia and Qatar battle for a place in the Gulf Cup 27 final.