Why referee Istvan Kovacs will wear a special shirt for the Tunisia vs. Japan game
FIFA has shared some exciting news: Romanian referee Istvan Kovacs will wear a special shirt with gold stripes on the sleeves for the World Cup game between Japan and Tunisia on Saturday, June 20. Kovacs, who is seen as one of Europe’s best referees, was given this unique jersey in front of his fellow referees earlier this week.
So, why the special shirt? It’s because Kovacs will be refereeing the 1,000th match in World Cup history during the Japan vs. Tunisia game at Monterrey Stadium. FIFA called this “one of the most important games in the tournament’s rich history.”
The special Adidas shirt has gold stripes down the sleeves and a patch that says ‘Match 1000.’ His assistant referees, Ferencz Tunyogi and Mihai Marica, will wear the same jersey too.
FIFA referees chief Pierluigi Collina explained, “We picked who we think is the best referee for this match. And by chance, he’s also the one for the 1,000th match.” He added, “This is something extra, something special for him. Refereeing a World Cup game is always a huge honor.”
Collina also talked about the special shirt: “Being part of World Cup history by officiating match number 1,000 is definitely something special. So, we created a special kit with golden stripes and a patch showing the trophy and the number 1,000.”
Interestingly, this will be Kovacs’ very first time refereeing at a World Cup. He’s 41 and first appeared in a big tournament at Euro 2024. Then, last year, he refereed the Champions League final where Paris Saint-Germain beat Inter Milan 5-0.
There’s also a fun detail about all the referees’ shirts: a sponsor logo from deodorant brand Rexona is placed under their armpits. This means it stays hidden most of the game but can be clearly seen when the referee makes key decisions like awarding a penalty or showing a card. Rexona, called Sure in the UK, also puts its logo on the substitution board. Many people have noticed and praised the clever way they advertise!