Arnaldo Cézar Coelho

Arnaldo David Cézar Coelho (born 15 January 1943) is a former football referee. He was the first Brazilian, indeed the first non-European, to take charge of the FIFA World Cup final when he officiated in the 1982 final between Italy and West Germany.

Career Coelho's career began as a beach soccer referee; he became professional in 1965 (at one time, famously, telling reporters that he was the highest paid match official in the world) and was appointed to the international list in 1968. He was selected for both the 1978 and 1982 FIFA World Cups, in Argentina and Spain respectively. In total, he officiated in seven matches during the World Cup finals, three as a referee (including the aforementioned final from the 1982 edition of the tournament, in which Italy defeated West Germany 3–1 at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid).

Personal life Coelho's brother is Ronaldo Cezar Coelho, a representative and founder of the Social Democratic Party in Brazil (PSDB); his mother is from a Moroccan Jewish family.

Major matches refereed