| Born |
7 January 1939 Santos, São Paulo, Brazil | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Died |
4 March 2023 (aged 84) Santos, São Paulo, Brazil | ||
| Other occupation | Realtor | ||
| International | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 1963–1989 | FIFA-listed | Referee | |
Romualdo Arppi Filho (7 January 1939 – 4 March 2023)[1] was a Brazilian football referee. He is mostly known for supervising three matches in the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, including the final rival between Germany and Argentina. Argentina eventually won the game 3–2. He was the second successive Brazilian to referee a World Cup final.
During the CONMEBOL qualifiers to Mexico the year prior, Arppi Filho allowed a brutal tackle by defender Julian Camino [2] against Peruvian forward Franco Navarro during the 1st minute of the second leg match in Buenos Aires.[3] Arppi Filho only drew a Yellow Card when in fact it had to be a direct Red Card. This was the only match Camino was called up for raising suspicion that Bilardo had ordered this flagrant unsportsmanlike act.[4] Argentina barely qualified with an agonizing 2-2 draw against a strong Peruvian side that had beat Argentina 1-0 in Lima a week prior.[5][6] Argentina went on to win the World Cup in Mexico the following year. Ironically Arppi Filho was chosen as the referee of the Mexico 1986 Final.