After Mexico took centre stage on Thursday, it is now Canada’s turn to make their mark as World Cup hosts on Friday.

The co-hosts will face Bosnia and Herzegovina at the BMO Field in Toronto, with the match scheduled to kick off at 3pm local time (8pm UK time).

The officiating team for Canada’s opening World Cup fixture has been confirmed, and the referee is a familiar figure to many football fans.

Facundo Tello, from Argentina, will oversee the encounter. The 44-year-old referee has extensive experience at the highest level, having previously officiated at the 2022 World Cup as well as at Euro 2024 — a rare assignment for a non-European referee.

Tello has been a fixture in Argentina’s top division for over a decade and gained widespread attention for his handling of the Champions Trophy final between Boca Juniors and Racing Club, in which he issued an extraordinary ten red cards. While that match remains an outlier in his career, it certainly added to his reputation for maintaining discipline in heated contests.

In the current season, Tello has taken charge of 14 matches across all competitions, brandishing just two red cards — an average of 0.14 per game — one of which resulted from a second yellow. In addition, he has shown 67 yellow cards, averaging 4.78 per game.

It is worth noting that Argentina’s domestic league is often known for its intensity, whereas Tello’s approach on the international stage tends to be more measured. During Euro 2024, he did not issue any red cards in his two matches, though he did produce nine yellow cards. Similarly, in the South American segment of World Cup qualifying, he officiated seven matches, showing 26 yellow cards but no reds.

At the 2022 World Cup, his only dismissal in three matches came in Morocco’s quarter-final against Portugal, when Walid Cheddira was shown a second yellow card late in the game.

Assisting Tello on VAR duties will be his compatriot Hernan Mastrangelo, supported by Antonio Garcia from Uruguay and Tatiana Guzman from Nicaragua. The fourth official and reserve assistant will be Khalif Alturais and Mohammed Alabakry, both representing Saudi Arabia.

Canada’s clash with Bosnia and Herzegovina promises to be a spirited contest, and with an experienced referee like Facundo Tello in charge, the game should be in capable hands.