Refereeing falls short? Makkelie receives the lowest expert rating for USA vs Paraguay World Cup match
Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
The group stage of the 2026 World Cup kicked off with the first refereeing controversies, and not every official managed to deliver at the highest level. At the center of the biggest scandal was Dutch referee Danny Makkelie. His disastrous performance in the clash between the USA and Paraguay sparked a storm of outrage among pundits, exposing serious communication breakdowns between the on-field officials and the VAR room.
Details: Archivo VAR has published the first referee ratings for the group stage matches, and Makkelie emerged as the main anti-hero of the opening rounds, receiving a catastrophic 2.5 out of 10.
Experts note that the referee’s level has dropped significantly in recent months, and his work in this match led to two glaring mistakes and a real “show” from VAR official Del Cerro Grande. First, the Dutchman called a non-existent foul, resulting in a questionable VAR intervention due to “player identity confusion,” and then somehow failed to even show a yellow card for a brutal studs-up challenge on American star Reyna’s shin.
Against the backdrop of this debacle, the ratings of other World Cup referees look much more balanced:
- Wilton Sampaio (6.0 points, Mexico vs South Africa): The Brazilian confidently handled the first half of the opening match and correctly sent off Sithole and César Montes for last-man fouls. However, Sampaio lost points after succumbing to VAR pressure in the second half, mistakenly sending off Zwane for a mild slap.
- Amin Mohamed (6.5 points, South Korea vs Czech Republic): The Egyptian delivered calm and composed officiating. He made the right call in awarding the Czech Republic’s goal, as the striker had stepped aside at the moment of Krejci’s shot and was not obstructing the goalkeeper’s view.
- Facundo Tello (5.0 points, Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina): The Argentine referee received a barely passing “three” due to chaotic distribution of yellow cards. This match was also marked by the first fail of the semi-automated offside technology (SAOT): VAR officials selected the wrong freeze frame, as the ball was already in the air after the shot.
Reminder: IShowSpeed celebrated the USA’s goal so wildly that he nearly fell out the window of his VIP box.
