What led to Wilton Sampaio’s three reds?
VAR and stoppage-time decisions drove the sendings-offs
In the Mexico vs. South Africa opening match, referee Wilton Pereira Sampaio issued three red cards during the same game, turning it into one of the most disciplinary World Cup openers in recent memory. The match’s rarity stemmed from both the number of dismissals and the role of video review in determining at least one of the red-card outcomes.
How the dismissals affected the match
- South Africa received two red cards, and the second dismissal ultimately left the team playing with nine men after the decision was confirmed via VAR.
- Mexico also received a red card, with Cesar Montes sent off, adding pressure on an already chaotic night.
Why VAR mattered
One South Africa red was described as being connected to a late VAR review process. That workflow—having the on-field action assessed after the initial incident—highlights how the officiating approach in this opener relied on more than just immediate referee judgment when determining whether a sending-off was warranted.
The broader consequence
Even with the disciplinary upheaval, the key on-field storyline stayed with Mexico’s performance. Mexico scored twice—through Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez—and held on to win 2-0.
What makes the referee’s three reds stand out is not only the total count, but the fact that the game ended with multiple teams navigating different red-card consequences, including VAR-confirmed outcomes that contributed to South Africa playing shorthanded for significant stretches.
For fans and teams, that matters because red cards change match control: fewer defenders and midfielders available can affect press intensity, ball retention, and set-piece risk management. In a tournament opener, that kind of match disruption tends to have outsized downstream effects on group-stage strategies.