São Paulo – The Brazilian refereeing trio made up of Raphael Claus, assistant referee Fabrini Bevilaqua and assistant referee Nailton Oliveira has been selected to officiate the UAE President’s Cup final. The match will be played on Friday night (22) in Abu Dhabi between Al Ain and Al Jazira. Al Ain enters as the favorite after winning the UAE football league for the 15th time this year without losing a single match.
According to information from the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), the request for the Brazilian trio to officiate the match came from the UAE Football Association and was agreed upon with the CBF. In a statement, CBF Refereeing Commission president Rodrigo Cintra said the opportunity is “proof that our refereeing already has worldwide recognition.”
“I am certain it’ll be a great match with great refereeing. It is the most anticipated game of the 2026 season in the Middle East. This invitation is essential to confirm that we’re on the right path, together, to build the world’s best refereeing for the coming years,” Cintra said.
Claus has been on FIFA’s referee list since 2015, which allows him to officiate international competitions. He took part in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he refereed the match between England and Iran, won by the English side 6-2. The trio regularly officiates matches in Brazil’s main competitions, such as the Brazilian Championship and the Copa do Brasil. The CBF has previously sent Brazilian referees to matches in Arab countries on other occasions. Anderson Daronco, for example, officiated matches in the Saudi league in 2023.
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Translated by Guilherme Miranda
