Romanian referee Istvan Kovacs has been appointed to take charge of the 1,000th match in the history of the FIFA World Cup, the Group F upcoming encounter between Tunisia and Japan at Monterrey Stadium on Saturday (June 20).
The 40-year-old will be assisted by compatriots Ferencz Tunyogi and Mihai Marica, with Costa Ricans Juan Calderon and Juan Carlos Mora serving as fourth official and reserve assistant referee, for one of the landmark fixtures in the tournament’s long and storied history.
Kovacs was the referee for the Champions League final between Paris St Germain and Inter Milan in Munich on May 31, earlier this year.
Kovacs officiated at the 2022 Europa Conference League final and 2024 Europa League final between Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen.