Both Spain and Saudi Arabia come into this match in Atlanta knowing that a positive result could dramatically improve their chances of advancing from Group H.
FIFA has entrusted one of South America’s most experienced officials with the fixture, selecting Claus after years of performances in CONMEBOL and FIFA competitions.
Main Referee Spain vs. Saudi Arabia: Raphael Claus
Raphael Claus is one of the leading referees in South American football.
- Nationality: Brazil
- FIFA-listed since: 2015
- Major tournaments: FIFA World Cup 2022, Copa América, Copa Libertadores
- Confederation: CONMEBOL
Refereeing Style and Disciplinary Record
Claus is known for adopting a balanced but authoritative approach to match management.
- Physical Play Tolerance: willingness to allow physical contests to develop before intervening. He generally prefers to keep the game flowing rather than stopping play for every challenge.
- Average yellow cards: Approximately 4.41 per match
- Average red cards: Approximately 0.14 per match
Career Achievements
Raphael Claus has officiated some of the biggest matches in world football.
- Copa América Final: In the 2024 Copa América Final, he refereed Argentina’s victory over Colombia in Miami.
- 2022 FIFA World Cup Experience: Claus was selected for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and took charge of several group-stage fixtures.
- Copa América 2019
- Copa América 2021
- Copa América 2024
- Copa Libertadores knockout rounds
Career Controversies
- Lionel Messi Clash (2020): During a World Cup qualifier between Argentina and Paraguay, Claus awarded a penalty against Argentina and later disallowed a Lionel Messi goal following a VAR review.
Then followed a heated reaction from Messi, who openly confronted the referee after the match.
- 2024 Copa América Final Criticism: Even before the 2024 Copa América Final began, Claus’ appointment generated discussion due to the historic football rivalry between Brazil and Argentina.
- Domestic Bias Allegations: Throughout his domestic career, Claus has regularly faced accusations of favoritism from rival fan bases.
Fans of several Brazilian clubs have publicly questioned his decisions. - 2025 VAR Incident: after the Sport Recife vs. Fluminense match in October 2025, a released CBF audio revealed that referee Raphael Claus told the VAR he had stopped play for a foul on Pablo, despite having allowed the game to continue on the pitch.
Full Officiating Crew for Spain vs. Saudi Arabia
FIFA has appointed the following officials for the Group H encounter:
- Referee: Raphael Claus (Brazil)
- Assistant Referee 1: Danilo Manis (Brazil)
- Assistant Referee 2: Rodrigo Figueiredo (Brazil)
- Fourth Official: Andrés Rojas (Colombia)
- VAR: Andrés Rojas (Colombia)
- Assistant VAR / Reserve: Alexander Guzmán (Colombia)
