England vs France referee Wilton Sampaio 'could be in charge of World Cup final'

The Brazilian official made a number of questionable decisions as the Three Lions were sent packing with a 2-1 defeat to Les Bleus.

Advertisement

Jude Bellingham and Harry Maguire both crticised Sampaio for his performance on Saturday night, which also left pundits scratching their heads.

Despite all that, the 40-year-old is in with a chance of refereeing the biggest match in football.

According to the Daily Mail, Sampaio survived FIFA's latest round of cuts, meaning he is one of the 12 remaining officials who could be given the World Cup final.

Advertisement

There were 36 referees at the start of the tournament and it is understood English referee Anthony Taylor also remains in Qatar, while fellow Premier League representative Michael Oliver is no longer required.

talkSPORT host Adrian Durham had called for Sampaio to be sent home after what he described as a 'shambolic' display.

Many felt Bukayo Saka was fouled in the build-up to France's opening goal, while a clear infringement against Harry Kane on the edge of the box was not given as a penalty or a free-kick.

Advertisement

Advertisement

In the second-half, England were left raging as seemingly obvious fouls continued to go unpunished.

Sampaio needed a VAR review to give the second penalty for a blatant shove on Mason Mount, which Kane blazed over the bar.

Reacting on commentary, England legend Stuart Pearce said: "This referee is having an awful game, a really, really awful game. That's a blatant penalty.

"If you can't see that first time round there's something wrong at the World Cup at the highest level."

Advertisement