CBF Replaces Arbitration Chief, Appoints Ex‑FIFA Referee Sandro Meira Ricci

Overview

• The Confederação Brasileira de Futebol removed Rodrigo Cintra from the presidency of the Comissão de Arbitragem and named Sandro Meira Ricci as his successor.
• Sandro Meira Ricci is a former FIFA referee who officiated at the 2018 World Cup and has worked as an arbitration analyst in Major League Soccer.
• Rodrigo Cintra led a drive to professionalize refereeing that began in 2026 and briefly convened an international expert committee that included Ricci, Néstor Pitana and Nicola Rizzoli.
• Péricles Bassols will remain as the technical manager for VAR, creating some operational continuity even as leadership and other staff who joined with Cintra are expected to leave.
• This appointment gives the arbitration unit its fourth different leader since 2020 and could shift how the CBF implements referee training, oversight and disciplinary reviews going forward.