Arnaldo Cézar Coelho

Who is Arnaldo Cézar Coelho?

Arnaldo David Cézar Coelho is a former football referee. He was the first Brazilian, indeed first non-European to take charge of the FIFA World Cup final when he officiated in the 1982 final between Italy and West Germany.

Coelho's career began as a beach soccer referee; became professional in 1965 and was appointed to the international list in 1968. He was selected for both the 1978 and 1982 FIFA World Cups. In total he officiated in seven matches during the World Cup finals, three as a referee.

After the end of his refereeing career, he became a soccer TV commentator for Rede Globo. In March 2010, the The Daily Mail newspaper reporter Graham Poll listed Coelho as one of the top referees, citing his excellent performance in the 1978 and 1982 World Cups.

Coelho's brother is Ronaldo Cezar Coelho, a representative and founder of the Social Democratic Party in Brazil.