Joao Pinheiro will referee Iraq vs Kuwait when Gulf 27 opens in Jeddah on Wednesday. The Portuguese official has been given the Saudi Arabia and Kuwait match at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, putting a UEFA elite referee at the center of the tournament’s first game.
Pinheiro has held the international badge since 2016. His recent assignments include the 2025 UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham and the semi-final between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain in the 2025-2026 Champions League.
Jeddah opening match
Saudi Arabia meet Kuwait in the opener, and Saudi Arabia’s group also includes Iraq and Oman. Teams that finish first or second go through to the semi-final, so the opening assignment lands in a match that already carries early pressure inside the group.
The appointment also links back to a moment that reached global attention during the 2026 World Cup. Lionel Messi appeared to rebuke Pinheiro in a quarter-final between Argentina and Switzerland, and cameras and lip readers caught Messi saying, “Speak to me with respect, do not disrespect me. I spoke to you with respect”.
UEFA referee profile
That history explains why Pinheiro’s name carries weight well beyond Gulf 27. A referee who has handled the 2025 UEFA Super Cup and a Champions League semi-final is being handed the first whistle in a regional tournament that runs until the seventh of next October, with the opening result immediately shaping the road for Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq and Oman.
