Wikipedia

Yael Falcón

Yael Falcón Pérez (born 15 December 1988[1]) is an Argentine football referee who has been on the FIFA International Referees List since 2022.

Yael Falcón
Born Yael Falcón Pérez
(1988-12-15) 15 December 1988 (age 37)
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Other occupation
Domestic
Years League Role
2019–present AFA Liga Profesional de Fútbol
International
Years League Role
2022–present FIFA listed
  • Referee

Career

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National

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Born in Buenos Aires in December 1988, Falcón began refereeing matches in the Primera C division of Argentine football in 2017.[2] On 22 July of that year, Falcón was labelled a hero for his actions in assisting player Isaías Olariaga of Club Atlético San Miguel, who suffered from convulsions following a head collision with a rival, Javier Velázquez of Defensores Unidos.[3][4] Falcón's knowledge in first aid helped stabilize Olariaga until an ambulance arrived and took him to Hospital Argerich, where he made a full recovery.[3][2] Falcón credited his training as a lifeguard and the training that he had received in San Bernardo del Tuyú, where he worked the summer season as a lifeguard.[3]

Falcón made his debut in the 2018–19 Superliga Argentina in a match between Unión de Santa Fe and Newell's Old Boys.[1][5] By then, he had taken part in eight Primera B Nacional matches and two Copa Argentinas.[5] Among his most renowned performances are the 2023 Supercopa Argentina between Club Atlético River Plate and Estudiantes de La Plata and two Superclásico games between River Plate and Boca Juniors in 2023 and 2024.[6][7] One of his most controversial matches was a match between River Plate and Club Atlético Platense in the Estadio Monumental, where he made detrimental decisions against Platense in a crucial game for the team that ultimately managed to ascend to the top-tier league.[8] During the penalty shootout draw after the match ended in a tie, Platense's captain Ignacio Vázquez did not make eye contact with Falcón and did not address him directly due to his anger.[8] Falcón later apologized to Platense's players and managers for the mistakes he committed.[9]

In May 2026, Falcón was selected as the referee of the Torneo Apertura final between River Plate and Club Atlético Belgrano at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Córdoba.[10][11]

International

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A May 2025 note by Clarín described Falcón as a favourite of Claudio Tapia, the president of the Argentine Football Association. His career quickly rose in prominence, with the coordinator of the referees' body, former referee Federico Beligoy, assigning several matches in the Primera B and the AFA Liga Profesional de Fútbol to Falcón.[9] He was subsequently promoted to international FIFA status in 2022.[12][13]

International competitions within CONMEBOL for Falcón include Copa Sudamericana and Copa Libertadores editions and qualification matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, making his debut on 20 March 2025 in a match between Peru and Bolivia.[9] In 2024, Falcón was chosen for the 2024 Copa América in the United States, where he oversaw a single group stage match for Group D between Costa Rica and Paraguay at the Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas.[14] Falcón had another controversial performance, this time at a game between Alianza Lima of Peru and Deportes Iquique during the 2025 Copa Libertadores's third round.[15]

Between 2023 and 2024, Falcón also refereed in Saudi football after the Saudis submitted a request for professional referees.[2] Also outside CONMEBOL, Falcón was appointed as a referee for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in his native Argentina.[16] Falcón was appointed as a referee for the men's tournament of the 2024 Summer Olympics.[6] In April 2026 FIFA named Falcón as a central referee for the 2026 edition of the FIFA World Cup along with fellow Argentine assistant referees Facundo Rodríguez and Maximiliano Del Yesso.[17]

Personal life

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Falcón is a physical education teacher by profession and, in addition to his refereeing activities, was a municipal employee in the city of Lanús from 2020 to 2023.[2] In 2017, he was honored by the Argentine Olympic Committee for his courageous reaction during the Primera C match where he is credited with saving Olariaga's life following a head collision.[2] He also worked for the local government of Mayor Néstor Grindetti in Lanús (2015–2023).[18]

Falcón resides in Lanús.[19]

Selected performances

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2024 Copa América – United States
DateMatchResultRoundVenue
2 July 2024 Costa Rica –  Paraguay2–1Group stageQ2 Stadium, Austin, Texas
2024 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament – Paris
DateMatchResultRoundVenue
24 July 2024 France –  United States3–0Group stageStade Vélodrome, Marseille
2 August 2024 Morocco –  United States4–0Quarter-finalsParc des Princes, Paris
2026 Torneo Apertura
DateMatchResultRoundVenue
24 May 2026River Plate – Belgrano2–3FinalEstadio Mario Alberto Kempes, Córdoba
2026 FIFA World Cup – North America
DateMatchResultRoundVenue
14 June 2026 Sweden –  Tunisia5–1Group stageEstadio BBVA, Guadalupe, Nuevo León
24 June 2026 Czech Republic –  Mexico0–3Group stageEstadio Azteca, Mexico City
2 July 2026  Switzerland –  Algeria2–0Round of 32BC Place, Vancouver

References

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  1. 1 2 "Quién es el árbitro de Talleres-Instituto y cómo les fue a ambos clubes con él como juez". La Voz del Interior (in Spanish). 16 September 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Casar González, Alejandro (21 May 2025). "Yael Falcón Pérez: el "árbitro héroe" de meteórico ascenso que quedó señalado en River vs. Platense". La Nación (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 Lagares, Juan (22 July 2017). "El árbitro guardavidas que salvó al jugador de San Miguel: "Cuando vi las convulsiones, intervine"". Clarín (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  4. ↑ "Yael Falcón Pérez al Mundial 2026: el bochornoso antecedente en el Ascenso con un famoso club". El Destape (in Spanish). 9 April 2026. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  5. 1 2 "Yael Falcón Pérez, el árbitro héroe, debuta en Primera dirigiendo a Unión y Newell´s". Agencia FE (in Spanish). 1 February 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  6. 1 2 "Yael Falcón Pérez, el árbitro argentino para París 2024". Página 12 (in Spanish). 4 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  7. ↑ "Los antecedentes de Yael Falcón Pérez con River y Boca". ESPN (in Spanish). 17 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Los garrafales errores del árbitro Yael Falcón Pérez: de las rojas obviadas al lateral previo al penal para el empate de River ante Platense". Clarín (in Spanish). 20 May 2025. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 "Yael Falcón Pérez, el árbitro 'apadrinado' de Chiqui Tapia que saltó a la fama como 'héroe' y estuvo cerca de ser villano en la histórica victoria de Platense vs. River". Clarín (in Spanish). 21 May 2025. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  10. ↑ "Quiénes son Yael Falcón Pérez y Leandro Rey Hilfer, los árbitros designados para la final entre River y Belgrano". Infobae (in Spanish). 22 May 2026. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
  11. ↑ "Final. Cómo les fue a Belgrano y a River con Falcón Pérez: sus números y dos polémicas fuertes". La Voz del Interior (in Spanish). 19 May 2026. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
  12. ↑ "Argentinian Football Association | International match officials". Inside FIFA. 1 January 2026. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  13. ↑ Trasmonte, Jorge Mario (9 April 2026). "El uno por uno de los árbitros que van al Mundial". Olé (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  14. ↑ Martín J, Víctor (2 July 2024). "Así es Yael Falcón Pérez, el árbitro del Costa Rica - Paraguay de Copa América 2024". Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  15. ↑ Solis Ruiz, Miguel (20 March 2025). "Perfil de Yael Falcón Pérez, el árbitro del Perú vs Bolivia que debutará en Eliminatorias 2026: 'pragmático', "deja jugar" y generó polémica en Alianza vs Iquique". Infobae (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  16. ↑ "Yael Falcón Pérez: de protagonizar el polémico clásico de Avellaneda, a dirigir el Mundial Sub 20". Olé (in Spanish). 20 April 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  17. ↑ Sisto, Hernán (9 April 2026). "Récord: los tres árbitros argentinos que dirigirán el Mundial 2026". TyC Sports (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  18. ↑ Butarazzi, Leandro (30 January 2019). "La particular historia del árbitro que debutará el domingo en el 15 de Abril". Uno Santa Fe (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  19. ↑ "El árbitro del Independiente - Racing trabajó hasta este miércoles en la intendencia de Grindetti". TyC Sports (in Spanish). 13 April 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
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