Whistle at the Ready: The Referee Named for the Al Hilal vs Al Ittihad Saudi Clasico
21 February 2026
Clash Preview: The Referee for the Al Hilal vs Al Ittihad Showdown
The Saudi Football Federation has announced the official for the highly anticipated Clasico between Al Hilal and Al Ittihad in the Roshen Saudi League. The match will be hosted by Al Hilal at Kingdom Arena on Saturday, as part of the 23rd round.
The Spanish referee Ricardo De Burgos has been appointed as the main official, with Iker De Francisco and Alfredo Rodriguez serving as assistants. Cesar Soto will oversee the video assistant referee duties, with Marta Huerta as an additional assistant VAR, and Ali Al Qahtani acting as the fourth official.
De Burgos, though only 39, boasts a lengthy refereeing résumé. He first took charge in La Liga in 2015 and earned his international badge in 2018. Since then, he has overseen numerous high-profile matches, including last year’s Copa del Rey final between Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Prior to that final, Madrid’s media outlets had criticized him through clips aired by Real Madrid TV alleging “refereeing scandals.” He addressed the scrutiny in a pre-match press conference, where he broke down crying and said: “When my son goes to school and is told his father is a thief, it is incredibly hard.”
Before the Clasico, De Burgos already officiated two Saudi league games — including a 2-1 win by Al Hilal over Al Ahli in the 2023-24 season and a 2-0 victory by Al Nasr over Al Khoud in the current campaign’s Round 2. He also refereed a Saudi Super Cup semifinal where Al Ahli defeated Al Qadisiyah 5-1 in August.
In short, the Spaniard’s track record is substantial, peppered with big-match experience and a recent emotional moment that reminded everyone referees are human after all—even when the whistle is loud and the crowd louder.
And if you’re counting on a faultless performance, remember: football is the theater of drama, and tonight the whistle might just steal the show. Let’s hope the coffee is strong and the flags are on point.
