Opening Match and Final Referee Prediction

With the European season coming to a close, it's time to focus on the World Cup. I thought I would kick start the World Cup refereeing sub-forum with all of us cosplaying as FIFA fantasy referee assignor. I think the most interesting discussions we have on this forum is during tournament and it produces really great discussions and debates. Who do you all think will officiate the opening match and who will officiate the Final? I've been horrifically wrong at this since I joined the forum. My order is something like this for the Final. 1. Oliver 2. Turpin/Letexier 3. Brazilian referee 4. Faghani (will the fact he is refereeing under the Australian flag, but from Iran matter?) 5. Elfath/Ramos If it is a European referee, I think it's either Oliver or Turpin/Letexier. I can't see anyone else from Europe getting it. The European field is maybe the weakest since I've been paying attention to this (in terms of experience and achievements). I would have Elfath 1 or 2 in any other World Cup, but I think being a host nation World Cup referee means you do have a ceiling especially if you're co-hosting. The US can't get everything. I think there is something truth to that. What's the furthest a host nation referee has gone in a World Cup the last 40 years? Round of 16 match? If it is a South American, I think it will go to whoever is the best Brazilian refefee. It feels like Brazil is due to officiate the World Cup Final.

Uruguay vs Spain, depending on how they come into that third match of group.

That said, Spain v Uruguay would be a really fun one to see Barton on; though you might get a different CONCACAF referee there.[in voice of Captain Kirk in Star Trek II] Ramos!

And if you go all the way back to the beginning in 1930, Langenus does a semifinal and the final when the semifinals were played simultaneously. Matches were numbered 16 and 18, though. And while it's different than the question asked, Irrati did the WC18 Final and WC22 opener as VAR. I'm sure it's possible (or highly likely) that he and other VMOs have done in-tournament chronological matches. But the opener-to-final connection as main VAR stands out there given the premise of the initial question.

If Marciniak gets the opener, would he become the first referee to referee chronologically-consecutive World Cup matches?

You want to talk dark horse, you probably should mention Barton. Returnee. No team conflict issues. Got the international playoff appointment. Probably not a WC Final candidate because of pure power politics, but if anyone can play themselves into a massive QF or SF appointment, it's probably him. Of course, with the right (or wrong) match, he could also get blown up.I can see him getting a difficult match in the group stage. I wonder if there is a match on paper that looks like its going to be a hard match to officiate due to high tensions. Nothing that I can see that will be as difficult as Serbia vs Switzerland in 2022. Mexico vs Czech Republic if Mexico need a result seems to me the most likely to be hard.

You want to talk dark horse, you probably should mention Barton. Returnee. No team conflict issues. Got the international playoff appointment. Probably not a WC Final candidate because of pure power politics, but if anyone can play themselves into a massive QF or SF appointment, it's probably him. Of course, with the right (or wrong) match, he could also get blown up.

Oh, and I would say Marciniak is a leading candidate for the opener, right? I think I predicted Turpin in 2022 and he also would be a sensible candidate. Faghani seems like the other.

Mexico vs Czech Republic if Mexico need a result seems to me the most likely to be hard.Which can't be a CONCACAF referee. I think knowing which games will matter on MD3 is an impossible task, given the best-third place qualification. I mean, something like Scotland v Brazil could be a huge match for multiple reasons or it could mean close to absolutely nothing. That said, Spain v Uruguay would be a really fun one to see Barton on; though you might get a different CONCACAF referee there.

Ricci was good enough in 2018 as a returnee and I think a lot of us had him as a serious candidate. I'm not sure anyone saw him as good enough or a serious contender heading into 2014. I think Abatti is different this year, because of what he's already done at the FIFA level.Not to officiate the Final, but maybe go further than a Round of 16 match.