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Norway are preparing to take on Senegal as Group I of the World Cup enters its second round of fixtures.

Following their impressive 4-1 victory over Iraq in the opening game, Norway will be eager to maintain momentum. Meanwhile, Senegal will aim to recover from their defeat to France as they fight to stay in contention for the knockout stages.

Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio, who made headlines for his officiating in the tournament’s opening match between Mexico and South Africa, has been appointed to oversee tonight’s encounter between Norway and Senegal.

Sampaio became the centre of attention after issuing three red cards during that opening fixture, which was filled with drama and controversy. His strict control of the match has set the tone for a tournament that already looks likely to feature more dismissals than any previous edition.

Since that fiery opener, four additional red cards have been handed out across other matches, bringing the total number of dismissals in the competition to seven so far.

The record for the highest number of red cards in any World Cup stands at 28, set during the 2006 edition held in Germany.

For tonight’s contest, Sampaio will be supported by his Brazilian compatriots Bruno Pires and Bruno Boschilia, who will serve as assistant referees along the sidelines. New Zealand’s Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh is set to act as the fourth official, while fellow New Zealander Isaac Trevis will serve as the reserve assistant referee.

The Brazilian referee, who previously sent off South Africa’s Themba Zwane in the Mexico match, will be hoping for a calmer evening this time around, though both Norway and Senegal are expected to play with intensity given the high stakes of qualification.

Before officiating the opening game of this year’s tournament, Sampaio had overseen more than 250 matches across domestic and international levels, including England’s defeat to France in the previous World Cup.

In addition to his on-field experience, Sampaio was a member of FIFA’s pioneering Video Assistant Referee (VAR) team, which was first introduced during the 2018 tournament in Russia.