THE World Cup is here and Said Martinez is one 52 referees at the tournament.
Martinez, 34, is a highly experienced official and will become the first Honduras-born ref to take charge of a World Cup game when Switzerland face Qatar on June 13.
Said Martinez was born in Tocoa in 1991, and he dreamed of following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a referee.
By the age of 18, he was an official in the Honduras top-flight and set a record for the youngest ref ever in the Liga Naciona.
Martinez briefly hung up his whistle to study maths, which earned him the nickname “El Matematico”.
He returned to refereeing in 2017 and was soon taking charge of Concacaf Gold Cup matches.
In 2021, he officiated the Concacaf Gold Cup final between the US and Mexico.
He has since refereed major Nations League and Leagues Cup matches.
Martinez averages 4.17 yellow cards per game ahead of the World Cup, making him one of the firmer officials in North America.
Hondurans Walter Lopez and Christian Ramirez are his assistants.
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