Portugal-Spain Referee's Mourinho Trauma

Anthony Taylor has been selected by FIFA to officiate the Round of 16 clash between Portugal and Spain at the 2026 World Cup. This will be the fifth time the English referee has overseen a match involving the Portuguese national team, and his first at a World Cup. Portugal's record under Taylor stands at two wins and two losses.

His recent history with Portugal is positive: he officiated their 5-0 thrashing of Armenia, coincidentally in the opening match of the qualification phase for this World Cup, and also their 2-0 victory over North Macedonia, which secured their spot at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. However, the first two encounters were less favorable: defeats to Germany in the Euro 2020 group stage (2-4) and against Ukraine in the qualification phase for that same European Championship (1-2).

So far in this World Cup, Anthony Taylor has refereed two matches: Colombia's 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan on the opening day, notably in the same Group K as the Portuguese national team, and Senegal's 5-0 rout of Iraq in the final round of the group stage, where he sent off an Iraqi player as early as the 13th minute.

Anthony Taylor is not a name fondly remembered by José Mourinho, and the feeling appears to be mutual. Late last year, the Premier League referee gave an interview to BBC Sport, admitting he blames the Portuguese coach for the fact that he has not experienced officiating a match with his family in the stands since.

The Englishman stated he experienced the "worst abuse situation" in Budapest, Hungary, following the UEFA Europa League final, where Roma lost to Sevilla in a penalty shootout. At the airport, while returning to England, he was targeted by furious Italian fans who believed he had unfairly disadvantaged the Roman club.

"Not only because I was traveling with my family but also because it highlights the impact of people's behavior on others. Even in a game like that, where there weren't really any major errors," he remarked, suggesting the objective was to "shift the focus to blame someone." When asked if Mourinho's attitude might have provoked this reaction from the fans, he was unequivocal: "Yes. I think if we're honest, yes."

"For me, it's a great source of disappointment, frustration, anger. Why it's acceptable, I don't know — because I'm sure those individuals wouldn't want someone saying that to them or their children. It makes you wonder if you made a mistake traveling with your family. They haven't been to a game since then," he recounted.