Juan Benítez

Juan Gabriel Benítez Mareco (born 23 October 1982) is a Paraguayan football referee who has been on the FIFA International Referees List since 2019.

Career Benítez was born in Asunción, Paraguay, on 23 October 1982. He played basketball in his youth, representing the youth team of Paraguay at two South American Championships in the 1990s. He began leading matches in the APF División de Honor—Paraguay's top-tier league—in 2015 and earned his FIFA badge in 2019.

Benítez has overseen important matches in his home country's league, including the Paraguayan clásico between Cerro Porteño and Club Olimpia.

Within CONMEBOL and inter-continental tournaments, Benítez has overseen matches at Copa Sudamericana and Copa Libertadores. His performances often draw criticism when games are heated or physically intense, with some commentators like Miguel Scime of Infobae saying that Benítez handles quiet matches better. Scime alleged that Benítez's high record of yellow and red cards shows that Benítez lacks resources to deal with these matches beyond sanctions.

Other competitions for Benítez at the international level include CONMEBOL qualification games for the FIFA World Cup, the 2024 Copa América in the United States, and being selected for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Selected performances 2026 FIFA World Cup – North America Date Match Result Round Venue 20 June 2026 – 2–1 Group stage BMO Field, Toronto