CORNERFLICK
Anthony Taylor will take charge of Spain against Portugal in the World Cup round of 16 on Monday.
The 47-year-old, a FIFA-listed referee since 2013, has already overseen two matches at this tournament: Uzbekistan’s 3-1 win over Colombia and Senegal’s 5-0 victory against Iraq. Across those games, he showed five yellow cards and one red.
Taylor is no stranger to major finals. He officiated at the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024, and has also been a Premier League referee since 2010. This will be his second World Cup.
He also has a history with both national teams. Spain have won three of the five matches he has refereed for them, while Portugal have had him in charge four times, including World Cup and European Championship qualifiers.
Taylor’s recent list of high-profile games includes the Nations League final, Spain’s 2-1 defeat by France, and the Euro 2024 quarter-final against Germany. He has also officiated 42 Champions League matches, plus the Europa League final and a Conference League fixture.