The Most Famous
REFEREES from Brazil
Top 6
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Brazilian Referees of all time. This list of famous Brazilian Referees is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Romualdo Arppi Filho (1939 - 2023)
With an HPI of 54.55, Romualdo Arppi Filho is the most famous Brazilian Referee. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages on wikipedia.
Romualdo Arppi Filho (7 January 1939 – 4 March 2023) was a Brazilian football referee. He is mostly known for supervising three matches in the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, including the final rival between Germany and Argentina. Argentina eventually won the game 3–2. He was the second successive Brazilian to referee a World Cup final. During the CONMEBOL qualifiers to Mexico the year prior, Arppi Filho allowed a brutal tackle by defender Julian Camino against Peruvian forward Franco Navarro during the 1st minute of the second leg match in Buenos Aires. Arppi Filho only drew a Yellow Card when in fact it had to be a direct Red Card. This was the only match Camino was called up for raising suspicion that Bilardo had ordered this flagrant unsportsmanlike act. Argentina barely qualified with an agonizing 2-2 draw against a strong Peruvian side that had beat Argentina 1-0 in Lima a week prior. Argentina went on to win the World Cup in Mexico the following year. Ironically Arppi Filho was chosen as the referee of the Mexico 1986 Final.
2. Arnaldo Cézar Coelho (b. 1943)
With an HPI of 48.17, Arnaldo Cézar Coelho is the 2nd most famous Brazilian Referee. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Arnaldo David Cézar Coelho (born 15 January 1943) is a former football referee. He was the first Brazilian, indeed the first non-European, to take charge of the FIFA World Cup final when he officiated in the 1982 final between Italy and West Germany. Coelho's career began as a beach soccer referee; he became professional in 1965 (at one time, famously, telling reporters that he was the highest paid match official in the world) and was appointed to the international list in 1968. He was selected for both the 1978 and 1982 FIFA World Cups. In total he officiated in seven matches during the World Cup finals, three as a referee (the mentioned final from 1982 included). After the end of his refereeing career, he became a football TV commentator for Rede Globo. In 2009, The Times listed him in seventh place in its list of "top ten football referees". Coelho's brother is Ronaldo Cezar Coelho, a representative and founder of the Social Democratic Party in Brazil (PSDB), his mother is from a Moroccan Jewish family.
3. Sandro Ricci (b. 1974)
With an HPI of 41.72, Sandro Ricci is the 3rd most famous Brazilian Referee. His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.
Sandro Meira Ricci (born 19 November 1974) is a retired Brazilian football referee and currently serves as the Manager of Senior Referees for PRO. He refereed at 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, beginning with the match between Ecuador and Paraguay on 26 March 2013. In March 2013, FIFA added Ricci to its list of candidate referees for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Ricci was the Brazilian referee at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, along with assistant referees Emerson de Carvalho and Marcelo Van Gasse. During his debut match France-Honduras, which was played on 15 June 2014, he was the first referee in the world to validate a goal by means of the newly introduced goal line technology. He was selected once again to be the Brazilian referee at the 2018 FIFA World Cup on Russia. After the tournament, he announced his retirement as a referee. After stepping down on his referee career, he was hired as a football refereeing and rules analyst by Globo.
4. Carlos Eugênio Simon (b. 1965)
With an HPI of 41.11, Carlos Eugênio Simon is the 4th most famous Brazilian Referee. His biography has been translated into 26 different languages.
Carlos Eugênio Simon (born 3 September 1965) is a Brazilian ex-FIFA football referee. He is also a journalist and he works for Fox Sports Brasil since 2012. Simon has been an international referee since 1998 and his first international game was between Ecuador and Peru. He was a referee in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, 2006 FIFA World Cup, and 2010 FIFA World Cup. During the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Simon officiated at three matches. He was selected for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and was chosen to officiate the match between England and the United States on 12 June.
5. Wilton Sampaio (b. 1981)
With an HPI of 34.69, Wilton Sampaio is the 5th most famous Brazilian Referee. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Wilton Pereira Sampaio (born 28 December 1981) is a Brazilian football referee. He has been on FIFA's list of international referees since 2013. His younger brother Sávio Pereira Sampaio is also a referee and on FIFA's list since 2022.
6. Raphael Claus (b. 1979)
With an HPI of 32.31, Raphael Claus is the 6th most famous Brazilian Referee. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Raphael Claus (born 6 September 1979 in Santa Bárbara d'Oeste, Brazil) is a Brazilian football referee. He is nominated as an official referee list of 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
People
Pantheon has 6 people classified as Brazilian referees born between 1939 and 1981. Of these 6, 5 (83.33%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Brazilian referees include Arnaldo Cézar Coelho, Sandro Ricci, and Carlos Eugênio Simon. The most famous deceased Brazilian referees include Romualdo Arppi Filho. As of April 2024, 2 new Brazilian referees have been added to Pantheon including Wilton Sampaio, and Raphael Claus.
Living Brazilian Referees
Go to all Rankings
Arnaldo Cézar Coelho
1943 - Present
HPI: 48.17
Sandro Ricci
1974 - Present
HPI: 41.72
Carlos Eugênio Simon
1965 - Present
HPI: 41.11
Wilton Sampaio
1981 - Present
HPI: 34.69
Raphael Claus
1979 - Present
HPI: 32.31
