Who is Jesus Valenzuela? Referee taking charge at the 2022 World Cup

by Philippa Kaur 4 November 2022, 18:53 199 Views

AS the World Cup creeps ever closer, SunSport have been taking a look at the tournament referees, after they were announced by FIFA.

Jesus Valenzuela is the only representative from his country heading to Qatar, with Venezuela having never qualified for a World Cup.

Jesus Valenzuela has taken charge of some important gamesCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Here is everything you need to know about him.

Who is Jesus Valenzuela?

Jesus Valenzuela was born in 1983 and made his professional debut in the Venezuelan First Division in 2011.

Ten years on, he was named the South American Football Confederation’s best referee.

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The 38-year-old took charge of the Copa America semi-final which saw Lionel Messi score the winning penalty in a dramatic shootout against Colombia.

Valenzuela has also officiated at the Tokyo Olympic Games and more recently the South American World Cup qualifiers which saw Peru beat Colombia, forcing them to miss out on the tournament.

Lionel Messi scored the winning penalty, sending Argentina through to the finalCredit: Reuters

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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk

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