Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Saint Petersburg: Alireza Faghani of Islamic Republic of Iran was tasked with refereeing the 2018 FIFA World Cup third-place playoff between Belgium and England at the Saint Petersburg on Saturday.
The exciting tie between Belgium and The Three Lions is Faghani's fourth appointment in Russia 2018, after overseeing the Round of 16 tie between France and Argentina on June 30; the Group E tie between Serbia and Brazil on June 27 and the Group F match between Germany and Mexico on June 17.
His appointment equals UAE's Ali Bujsaim who officiated Sweden's 4-0 win over Bulgaria in the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA third-place playoff at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
The experienced Iranian is appearing in his second FIFA World Cup and was assisted by compatriots Reza Sokhandan and Mohammadreza Mansouri - who also assisted Faghani in France's 4-3 win against Argentina, Mexico's 1-0 win over Germany as well as Brazil's 2-0 triumph over Serbia.
In Brazil 2014, the 2016 AFC Referee of the Year was the fourth official for seven matches, including the opening match between hosts Brazil and Croatia.