Why are referees wearing pink in Uruguay vs Saudi Arabia 2026 World Cup clash?
worldsoccertalk.com · last month
For the game between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in the 2026 World Cup, referees will be wearing pink jerseys for the first and last time in the competition. The 2026 World Cup has served as the backdrop for several new FIFA initiatives aimed at shaking up the tournament, and that modern refresh has officially extended to official attire. While fans have primarily seen the usual black, yellow, and cyan kits so far, the Group H clash between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia marks the very first time tournament referees will sport a distinct pink look on the pitch. According to a statement released by FIFA, officials are donning the pink threads for the Uruguay-Saudi Arabia matchup as a direct tribute to the host city of Miami. The unique hue has been dubbed “pink flamingo,” symbolizing “the once widespread population of flamingos in the region, the striking palette of the city’s famous Art Deco architecture, and South Florida’s iconic pink sunsets.“ Miami is also serving as the official home base for Team One, the massive 170-member collective of referees, linesmen, and video officials working this World Cup. Because Uruguay vs. Saudi Arabia represents the first match of the tournament to kick off in the area, specifically at Hard Rock Stadium (rebranded as Miami Stadium for the event), FIFA executives decided it was the perfect occasion to debut the commemorative jersey. In the official release, FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed his gratitude to Miami for hosting the tournament’s operational headquarters and emphasized the sentiment behind the visual tribute: “Pink is the color of Miami, and we are all wearing this very nice pink dresses to give a little bit of a shout-out, to give a little bit of a smile to the city which is hosting us.” A tribute to Miami 🩷@FIFAWorldCup officials will honour their host city by wearing pink flamingo jerseys for Uruguay vs Saudi Arabia on Monday, 15 June — a nod to the flamingos, the Art Deco architecture, and those famous Miami sunsets that make the colour iconic here. pic.twitter.com/kgw1BLfhVd— FIFA (@FIFAcom) June 15, 2026 Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s Chief Refereeing Officer and Chairman of the Referees Committee, also voiced his excitement about the local nod. “Miami is our base camp so we thought it would be nice to show our appreciation to the city where we’ll live for about two months. We chose this ‘pink flamingo’ for the referees’ training material. It’s a sort of recognition. Also, the first match – which will be played in Miami, June 15 – Uruguay v Saudi Arabia, the referee will wear the pink flamingo shirt,” the Italian announced. While the “pink flamingo” kits are heavily featured in Team One’s Miami training sessions, their appearance in an actual match is strictly a one-off event. For all remaining matches in the tournament, including future fixtures hosted in Miami, referees will revert to their standard rotation of black, green, cyan, red, and yellow uniforms. Match officials locked in for Uruguay vs. Saudi Arabia Italian referee Maurizio Mariani has been assigned to head the officiating crew for the highly anticipated Uruguay-Saudi Arabia matchup. He will be flanked on the pitch by fellow countrymen Daniele Bindoni (Assistant 1) and Alberto Tegoni (Assistant 2), while Canadian Drew Fischer will patrol the technical areas as the fourth official, supported by Michael Barwegen as the reserve assistant referee. To handle modern replay review, Italy’s Marco Di Bello will lead the technical booth as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). He will be joined by Croatian official Ivan Bebek serving as the Assistant VAR (AVAR), alongside France’s Jerome Brisard, who rounds out the crew as the Support VAR (SVAR).
