The first round of Group F action at World Cup 2026 wraps up with Sweden facing Tunisia in Guadalupe, Mexico — and Argentine official Yael Falcon will take charge of the match.

Falcon's path to the centre circle

Falcon has risen steadily through the officiating ranks in Argentina. Just last month, he refereed the Primera Division final between River Plate and Belgrano, underlining his credentials at the highest domestic level.

On the international stage, he has taken charge of World Cup qualifier matches and featured in the most recent Copa America, establishing himself as one of South America's top officials.

The full officiating team

Falcon will be joined on the lines by his compatriots Maximiliano Del Yesso and Facundo Rodriguez, completing an all-Argentine trio in the main officiating unit.

The fourth official is Juan Gabriel Calderon of Costa Rica, whose appointment made history — he becomes the first Costa Rican referee to serve as a central official at a World Cup since the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan. Calderon has previous experience in the CONCACAF Gold Cup and various international qualifying campaigns.

Fellow Costa Rican Juan Carlos Mora serves as reserve assistant referee.

Chilean official Juan Lara will operate as Video Assistant Referee, with Uruguayan Antonio Garcia acting as his primary VAR assistant. Hernan Mastrangelo — FIFA listed since 2023 and a veteran of the Copa Libertadores final and the 2025 Club World Cup — rounds out the support team.

The match itself

Sweden arrive in Guadalupe with genuine ambitions, having missed the 2022 World Cup entirely. The presence of Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres — one of the most potent attacking partnerships in the tournament — makes them narrow favourites against Tunisia in what promises to be a competitive Group F encounter.