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Mexican referee Pacheco to be reserve VAR for 2026 World Cup final
🇲🇽 Mexico /Sports

Mexican referee Pacheco to be reserve VAR for 2026 World Cup final

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Mexican referee Guillermo Pacheco Larios will be the reserve VAR official for the 2026 North American World Cup final between Spain and Argentina.
  • Pacheco, 31, was selected by FIFA's Referees' Commission and will be on standby to replace a VAR team member if needed.
  • This marks Pacheco's eleventh appearance in the tournament, making him the Mexican referee with the most participations in this World Cup.

Mexican referee Guillermo Pacheco Larios will be on standby for the 2026 North American World Cup final between Spain and Argentina. The 31-year-old official has been designated as the reserve VAR (Video Assistant Referee) by FIFA's Referees' Commission.

Pacheco's role means he will be present in the VAR booth to step in if any of the primary officials need to be replaced. While he will not have direct involvement in reviewed plays, his selection is a significant achievement.

The commission of referees for the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) called his appointment an "orgullo mexicano" (Mexican pride). Pacheco, from Sonora, will join a VAR team that includes officials from Nicaragua, Qatar, Colombia, and Germany. The on-field refereeing team will be from Slovenia.

This World Cup marks Pacheco's eleventh appearance, having served as the main VAR in six matches, AVAR (Assistant VAR) in two, and SVAR (Support VAR) in two others. His participation makes him the Mexican referee with the most appearances in the 2026 North American World Cup.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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