JAPAN face Tunisia in their second game of World Cup 2026, and fans have noticed the referee is wearing a special kit for the Group F clash.
Samurai Blue are looking for their first win at the tournament after their last gasp draw with Netherlands earned them a point in their opening game.
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Experienced Champions League referee Istvan Kovacs will officiate the Japan vs Tunisia match Credit: Getty
Daichi Kamada scored late on to draw 2-2 with Netherlands in their opening game Credit: Reuters
Japan are hoping for their best ever finish at the tournament this summer – they have never got further than the round-of-16.
Tunisia were thrashed 5-1 in their opening game by Sweden, with Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres getting on the scoresheet for the Scandinavians.
They now face a must-win game against the Japanese if they are going to qualify for the knockout stages.
JattvibeSport has all the details on the special kit that Istvan Kovacs is wearing tonight for the Group F match-up.
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Why is World Cup 2026 referee Istvan Kovacs wearing a gold trimmed kit for Japan vs Tunisia?
Istvan Kovacs is wearing a special gold-trimmed kit to mark the 1000th game in World Cup history.
Fifa referee’s chief Pierluigi Collina revealed that the Romanian official would wear a special strip to honour the occasion, as well as donning a gold badge with the number 1000 on it.
He was presented with the shirt ahead of the match by Collina.
The match also marks a special moment for Kovacs himself, with it being his first match in the middle at the World Cup – he previously served as a fourth official across eight matches at Qatar 2022.
Pierluigi Collina unveiled a special one-off World Cup refereeing outfit Credit: X @FIFA
Istvan Kovacs will wear the honorary strip to mark 1000 World Cup games Credit: X @FIFA
The legendary whistler explained, “The 1000th match is Japan vs Tunisia.
“It is a very, very special match because it is match number 1,000 in the history of the World Cup.
“Imagine being the referee of this very, very particular match.
“Being the referee of this match deserves something special.
“As you can see, something with gold, so the stripes are in gold.
“There is a patch in gold which says match number 1000.”
It has taken 96 years and 23 tournaments to reach this number after the tournament was started in Uruguay in 1930.
For fans looking back to what the first game of the World Cup was, unfortunately there is no clear answer.
France beat Mexico 4-1 and the USA won 3-0 against Belgium in games that kicked off at the same time.
New World Cup 2026 rules
FIFA confirmed several new rules coming into play for the World Cup 2026.
They are:
Outfield players cannot go to technical areas while goalkeeper getting treatment
Five-second countdowns for goal-kicks and throw-ins
Ten-second substitutions – or else one-minute sub entry delay
One minute off field after outfield players get treatment
Three-minute hydration breaks in each half
VAR can intervene over fouls before ball in play for goals, penalties and disciplinary sanctions
VAR can correct wrongly-awarded yellow cards and corners
Red cards for covering mouth in confrontational talk
Red cards for walking off pitch in protest
