Sandro Ricci

{{Short description|Brazilian football referee and analyst}}

{{Portuguese name|Meira|Ricci}}

{{Infobox football official

| name = Sandro Ricci

| fullname = Sandro Meira Ricci

| image = Sandro Ricci, FIFA referee 2015.jpg

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1974|11|19|df=y}}

| birth_place = Poços de Caldas, Minas Gerais, Brazil

| years1 = –2018

| league1 = {{lang|pt|Campeonato Brasileiro Série A|italic=no}}

| role1 = Referee

| internationalyears1 = 2011–2018

| confederation1 = FIFA listed

| internationalrole1 = Referee

}}

Sandro Meira Ricci (born 19 November 1974) is a retired Brazilian football referee and currently serves as the Manager of Senior Referees for PRO. [https://proreferees.com/2023/06/06/sandro-ricci-joins-pro-as-manager-of-senior-referees/ “Sandro Ricci joins PRO as Manager of Senior Referees”] June 6, 2023. He refereed at 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers,[http://worldreferee.com/site/copy.php?linkID=5931&linkType=referee&contextType=bio Profile] beginning with the match between Ecuador and Paraguay on 26 March 2013.FIFA. [https://web.archive.org/web/20130603145152/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/southamerica/matches/round=258419/match=300180909/report.html "Match Report - Ecuador - Paraguay 4:1 (1:1)"]. 26 March 2013. Retrieved on 22 April 2013.

In March 2013, FIFA added Ricci to its list of candidate referees for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.CNNSI. [https://web.archive.org/web/20131224114335/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2013/soccer/wires/03/26/2080.ap.soc.2014.wcup.referees.130/index.html "FIFA changes 3 referees preparing for World Cup"]. Associated Press, 26 March 2013. Retrieved on 22 April 2013.

Ricci was the Brazilian referee at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, along with assistant referees Emerson de Carvalho and Marcelo Van Gasse. During his debut match France-Honduras, which was played on 15 June 2014, he was the first referee in the world to validate a goal by means of the newly introduced goal line technology. He was selected once again to be the Brazilian referee at the 2018 FIFA World Cup on Russia. After the tournament, he announced his retirement as a referee. After stepping down on his referee career, he was hired as a football refereeing and rules analyst by Globo.[https://esporte.uol.com.br/futebol/ultimas-noticias/2018/07/21/arbitro-do-brasil-na-copa-sandro-meira-ricci-anuncia-aposentadoria.htm "Árbitro do Brasil na Copa, Sandro Meira Ricci anuncia aposentadoria(Brazil's referee at the World Cup, Sandro Meira Ricci announces retirement)".] UOL, 21 July 2018. Retrieved on 24 April 2019.[https://www.lance.com.br/fora-de-campo/globo-anuncia-sandro-meira-ricci-como-comentarista-arbitragem.html "Globo anuncia Sandro Meira Ricci como comentarista de arbitragem(Globo announces Sandro Meira Ricci as a refereeing pundit)"] Lance!, 09 January 2019. Retrieved on 24 April 2019.