Romanian referee István Kovács has been appointed by FIFA to officiate Match 1,000 in the history of the FIFA World Cup™ — the Group F clash between Tunisia and Japan at Monterrey Stadium on 20 June.

Kovács will be joined in his officiating team by fellow Romanians Ferencz Tunyogi and Mihai Marica as assistant referees, while Costa Ricans Juan Calderón and Juan Carlos Mora will serve as fourth official and reserve assistant referee respectively.

To mark the milestone, Kovács was presented with a specially designed adidas match shirt featuring gold stripes along the sleeves and a dedicated 'Match 1000' patch incorporating the iconic FIFA World Cup trophy. The shirt will also be worn by Tunyogi and Marica on the pitch at Monterrey Stadium.

A selection based on merit

FIFA Chief Refereeing Officer and Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee Pierluigi Collina stressed that the appointment was made on sporting merit alone, with the historic significance coming as a bonus.