Arbitration from Goiás is present at the opening of the World Cup Amid the emotions of the World Cup, the mother of referee Wilton Pereira Sampaio from Goiás told g1 that she went to mass to give thanks after her son's debut in the tournament. Although this is Wilton's third participation in the World Cup, Maria Rita Pereira Bruno, 60 years old, resident of Teresina de Goiás, still gets emotional seeing him on the field. "I went to thank Wilton for his beautiful work in the World Cup game. Ever since I found out that he was going to officiate the first game, I asked God a lot for wisdom so that he could do a good job", he told reporter Letícia Fiuza. ✅ Click and follow the g1 GO channel on WhatsApp Maria said that the family got together to watch the match. On social media, Wilton's name reached first place among the most talked about topics in Brazil on X during and after the game between Mexico and South Africa. "I was very moved. The whole family was very moved when they saw him entering the stadium to referee a long-awaited and dreamed game. He did a beautiful job, with a lot of wisdom and responsibility. He fought hard to get where he is today", he stated. The opening match of the competition was held on Thursday afternoon (11), in Mexico City. The confrontation ended in victory for the home team and was marked by moments of tension before the final whistle. Wilton issued three red cards and sent off players from both teams. Teacher, Maria said that she watched the first half alongside the students and was able to watch the second half at home. "I want to congratulate Wilton for his efforts in football. He did a brilliant job", he highlighted. Wilton Pereira Sampaio in the first game of the 2026 World Cup Reproduction/TV Anhanguera READ ALSO: Wilton Pereira Sampaio’s mother was emotional when she saw him enter the opening of the World Cup: ‘He fought hard to get where he is’ Referee from Goiás who will referee the opening match of the World Cup is a hit on social media: ‘The legend’ Who is the Brazilian referee who will referee the opening game of the 2026 World Cup and is a hit on the networks Discover the referee's story Wilton Pereira is going to his third World Cup Reproduction/ TV Anhanguera Born in Teresina de Goiás, in the north of the state, Wilton arrived at the Goiana Football Federation (FGF) between 2010 and 2011. According to the entity's president, Ronei Ferreira de Freitas, he already demonstrated, in the first years of his career, characteristics that caught the attention of those who followed his work. "Wilton is a professional who needs no comment. Very dedicated, very polite, a well-educated person. From the moment he arrived to us, we began to understand that he had a great future in refereeing", he stated. Today, at 44 years old, Wilton reaches his third participation in World Cups as one of the main names in Brazilian refereeing. For the FGF, the presence of the referee at the opening of the tournament represents recognition of work carried out over more than a decade. 📱 See other news from the region on g1 Goiás. VIDEOS: latest news from Goiás