The Most Famous
REFEREES from Spain
Top 8
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Spanish Referees of all time. This list of famous Spanish Referees is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Manuel Mejuto González (b. 1965)
With an HPI of 44.12, Manuel Mejuto González is the most famous Spanish Referee. His biography has been translated into 25 different languages on wikipedia.
Manuel Enrique Mejuto González (born 16 April 1965) is a Spanish former football referee. He is best known for refereeing the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final between Liverpool and Milan. He also officiated two matches in the Euro 2004 in Portugal. In European club competition, he has refereed three UEFA Cup matches and thirty-seven UEFA Champions League matches in his career.
2. Luis Medina Cantalejo (b. 1964)
With an HPI of 43.58, Luis Medina Cantalejo is the 2nd most famous Spanish Referee. His biography has been translated into 23 different languages.
Luis Medina Cantalejo (born 1 March 1964) is a Spanish former football referee. He was one of the few officials allowed to officiate the domestic clashes between Real Madrid and Barcelona. His first experience as an international referee came on 4 September 2004, between Turkey and Georgia, in a preliminary qualifier for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
3. Carlos Velasco Carballo (b. 1971)
With an HPI of 43.32, Carlos Velasco Carballo is the 3rd most famous Spanish Referee. His biography has been translated into 28 different languages.
Carlos Velasco Carballo (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈkaɾlos βeˈlasko kaɾˈβaʎo]; born 16 March 1971) is a retired Spanish professional football referee.
4. Jesús Gil Manzano (b. 1984)
With an HPI of 41.09, Jesús Gil Manzano is the 4th most famous Spanish Referee. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Jesús Gil Manzano (Spanish pronunciation: [xeˈsus ˈxil manˈθano]; born 4 February 1984) is a Spanish football referee. He officiates in the Spanish Primera División. He made his La Liga debut on 25 August 2012 in a game between Málaga and Mallorca. Gil Manzano also appeared in the 2013–14 Copa del Rey quarterfinals game between Racing de Santander and Real Sociedad, where Racing refused to play after one minute. Following the game between Barcelona and Girona on 23 September 2018, that ended 2–2, Lionel Messi refused to shake his hand after the match. He has also refereed in top league matches of various countries, such as on 10 February 2019, in the derby PAOK - Olympiacos 3–1.
5. Alberto Undiano Mallenco (b. 1973)
With an HPI of 39.82, Alberto Undiano Mallenco is the 5th most famous Spanish Referee. His biography has been translated into 27 different languages.
Alberto Undiano Mallenco (Spanish pronunciation: [alˈβeɾto wnˈdjano maˈʎeŋko]; born 6 October 1973) is a retired Spanish football referee. He was a full international referee for FIFA from 2004 to 2019. Undiano is also a part-time sociologist.
6. Carlos del Cerro Grande (b. 1976)
With an HPI of 38.92, Carlos del Cerro Grande is the 6th most famous Spanish Referee. His biography has been translated into 22 different languages.
Carlos del Cerro Grande (born 13 March 1976) is a Spanish former football referee. He has been an international referee since 2013, with his debut coming in an international match on 26 May 2013, between the under-19 teams of Scotland and Georgia. On 15 June 2021, Del Cerro refereed in a major international finals match for the first time when he officiated the group match of Euro 2020 between France and Germany. He faced criticism for not calling a foul against Germany in their penalty area. He Served as the fourth official during the UEFA Euro 2020 final and 2021 UEFA Champions League final He took charge of the UEFA Europa Conference League final between Fiorentina and West Ham United on 7 June 2023.
7. Eduardo Iturralde González (b. 1967)
With an HPI of 35.99, Eduardo Iturralde González is the 7th most famous Spanish Referee. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Eduardo Iturralde González (born 20 February 1967 in Arrankudiaga) is a retired Spanish football referee. He frequently served as a referee for European matches in the Europa League and Champions League. Iturralde notably refereed the El Clásico on three occasions, in 1999, 2005 and most recently in November 2010, in which he was praised by Barcelona for his performance. Iturralde González was the referee of the Republic of Ireland's 2–1 win over Armenia in the last Euro 2012 qualifying match. Early in the game, he sent off Armenian goalkeeper Roman Berezovsky for a handball, although video replays indicated that the ball hit his chest. Two days after the match, the Football Federation of Armenia officially filed a protest to UEFA over the goalkeeper's dismissal. On 23 March 2012 he announced his retirement from refereeing due to disagreements with the Spanish Technical Committee, although it was already time for him to retire at the end of the 2011–12 season. His last game was Real Betis vs Real Madrid (2–3) on 10 March 2012. He could not finish this game due to a muscle injury, being substituted by the fourth referee, Gorka Sagués Oscoz, during half time.
8. Alejandro Hernández Hernández (b. 1982)
With an HPI of 34.71, Alejandro Hernández Hernández is the 8th most famous Spanish Referee. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Alejandro José Hernández Hernández (born 10 November 1982) is a Spanish football referee. He has been a full international referee for FIFA since 2014. He is widely regarded as one of Spain's greatest referees in contemporary football, having been voted as the best by the Spanish FA's technical committee in 2017. On 2 April 2016, Hernández Hernández refereed an El Clasico match between Barcelona and Real Madrid at the Camp Nou which finished 1-2 to the away side. On 6 May 2018, Hernández Hernández refereed a hotly contested El Clasico at the Camp Nou which finished as a 2-2 draw. After the game, he was heavily criticized for his poor decisions against both teams. On 7 March 2021, Hernández Hernández was involved in more controversy with Real Madrid in a match against Atletico Madrid. He refused to check VAR after a controversial handball by Felipe. Real Madrid's fury with Hernández Hernández grew after this game, as they believe the decisions always go against them.
People
Pantheon has 8 people classified as Spanish referees born between 1964 and 1984. Of these 8, 8 (100.00%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Spanish referees include Manuel Mejuto González, Luis Medina Cantalejo, and Carlos Velasco Carballo. As of April 2024, 2 new Spanish referees have been added to Pantheon including Jesús Gil Manzano, and Alejandro Hernández Hernández.
Living Spanish Referees
Go to all Rankings
Manuel Mejuto González
1965 - Present
HPI: 44.12
Luis Medina Cantalejo
1964 - Present
HPI: 43.58
Carlos Velasco Carballo
1971 - Present
HPI: 43.32
Jesús Gil Manzano
1984 - Present
HPI: 41.09
Alberto Undiano Mallenco
1973 - Present
HPI: 39.82
Carlos del Cerro Grande
1976 - Present
HPI: 38.92
Eduardo Iturralde González
1967 - Present
HPI: 35.99
Alejandro Hernández Hernández
1982 - Present
HPI: 34.71
