JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Howard Webb of England will referee the World Cup final.
FIFA chose the 38-year-old former police officer to take charge when the Netherlands and Spain meet at Johannesburg’s Soccer City on Sunday.
Webb has refereed three World Cup matches and has neither shown a red card nor awarded a penalty kick.
He handled Spain’s 1-0 loss to Switzerland, then won praise for controlling a dramatic end to Slovakia’s 3-2 win that eliminated defending champion Italy. He also refereed Brazil’s 3-0 second-round victory against Chile.
Webb and assistants Darren Cann and Mike Mullarkey will complete a prestigious end-of-season double after officiating the Champions League final in May, when Inter Milan beat Bayern Munich in Madrid.
