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The FIFA World Cup Group H campaign begins with Uruguay and Saudi Arabia going head-to-head in Miami.

As the two nations face each other again on the world stage, Uruguay — twice crowned world champions — will aim to replicate their previous success over Saudi Arabia, achieved just eight years ago.

The spotlight now turns to the officials in charge of the encounter. Italian referee Maurizio Mariani has been appointed to take control of the Group H clash at Miami Stadium.

Mariani has been part of FIFA’s official refereeing list since 2019 and has officiated more than 430 matches across European and international competitions. His experience includes high-profile fixtures such as the fiercely contested Serie A derby between AC Milan and Inter Milan in October 2020, where Inter secured a 2-1 win at the San Siro.

This marks Mariani’s first major international tournament. Interestingly, beyond football, he also serves as a sailor in Italy’s merchant navy.

Supporting him on the sidelines will be fellow Italians Daniele Bindoni and Alberto Tegoni, who will serve as assistant referees.

The fourth official role has been assigned to Canadian referee Drew Thomas Fisher, while Italy’s Marco Di Bello will handle Video Assistant Referee (VAR) operations. He will be assisted by Croatian official Ivan Bebek.

Adding a unique touch to the match, the entire officiating team will don 'flamingo pink' shirts — a tribute to the host city of Miami, widely associated with the colour pink and its connection to the flamingos that once thrived in southern Florida. This theme also aligns with David Beckham’s Inter Miami, whose home kit features the same colour.

“Miami is our base camp, so we thought it would be a nice gesture to show appreciation to the city where we’ll be staying for the next two months,” explained Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s Chief Refereeing Officer and Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee. “We selected the ‘pink flamingo’ design for the referees’ training gear as a symbol of recognition. For the first match — Uruguay versus Saudi Arabia in Miami on June 15 — the referee will wear the pink flamingo shirt.”