Who is Spain vs Costa Rica referee Mohammed Mohamed, and how many World Cups has he officiated at?

THE United Arab Emirates haven’t made it to the World Cup finals – but their top official has.

Mohammed Mohamed will be one of the 36 referees in Qatar after being selected by Fifa chiefs – and he takes charge of Spain vs Costa Rica.

Here’s all you need to know about the man in the middle.

Who is Mohammed Mohamed?

Active since 2010, Mohammed Mohamed has been a regular in AFC competitions.

He took charge of his first AFC Cup game in 2011 and immediately made his presence felt, dishing out eight yellow cards and a red.

The UAE ref has calmed down since and has a reputation for being one of the most lenient on their way to Russia this summer, averaging just over three cards per game.

Fans of England’s Young Lions will recognise him from 2017’s successful under-20 World Cup campaign, where he took charge of the quarter-final win over Mexico.

Has he officiated at the World Cup before?

This is Mohammed Mohamed’s second World Cup.

In the build-up to the finals, he took charge of qualifying games including Uzbekistan vs Bahrain, South Korea vs China and Syria vs Uzbekistan.

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk