Haiti vs. Scotland: Who is the referee, VAR for Tartan Army's World Cup 2026 opener? Record and past controversies assessed

Now that World Cup 2026 has kicked off, attention is turning to Scotland, who will enter the 48-team fray when they face Haiti in the early hours of Sunday morning UK time.

Steve Clarke's Tartan Army are up against it to progress to the knockout rounds, having been drawn in Group C along with Brazil, Morocco and this weekend's opponents.

With that in mind, the fine margins are likely to be decisive, and fans are sure to be examining every detail closely, including the match officials for each game.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at the history, record and past controversies surrounding the referee and VAR for Scotland's opener against Haiti.

Who is the referee for Haiti vs. Scotland?

FIFA have announced that Mustapha Ghorbal of Algeria will be the man in the middle when Haiti take on Scotland.

The 40-year-old referee earned FIFA international approval back in 2014, and has since been a part of the 2019, 2022, 2024 and 2025 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.

Ghorbal also has experience at the World Cup having been in charge of two group stage games back in 2022, before going on to serve as the fourth official for two round of 16 matches.

In terms of domestic action, the referee can often be found officiating in France's Ligue 1, where he gave out no straight red cards in 2025-26, though he did give two individuals second yellow cards in his nine top-flight matches.

Over the entirety of his career, the Algerian official has shown 1115 yellows (29 second yellows) and 35 straight reds across 284 fixtures, a rate of 3.9 bookings and 0.2 dismissals per outing.

Fans of European teams might be familiar with Ghorbal from his work at the 2025 Club World Cup, during which he was involved in matches featuring Manchester City, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.

What controversies has the referee for Haiti vs. Scotland been involved in?

Ghorbal was at the centre of a major controversy back in April, when he took charge of an African Champions League semi-final first leg between Tunisia's Esperance Tunis and South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns.

The referee overturned an Esperance goal for a foul on the Sundowns shot-stopper just beyond the hour mark, a decision that was confirmed via VAR.

The beneficiaries then went on to win that first leg 1-0, despite having Grant Kekana sent off late on, an outcome that triggered the home crowd into throwing water bottles at the officials as they exited the pitch.

A police escort was required to help Ghorbal leave the ground safely, with enraged fans hoping to confront the referee after the game.

Who is the VAR for Haiti vs. Scotland?

The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for this game is Jose Enrique Naranjo, one of two Spanish officials involved in this match.

Naranjo's countryman Alejandro Hernandez will act as the Fourth Official, while Algerian duo Mokrane Gourari and Abbes Akram Zerhouni will be the assistant referees for Sunday's clash.