João Pinheiro
⚽Portugal referee · 8 competitions · FIFA International
João Pinheiro is a Portugal football referee. They have officiated as referee, fourth official, VAR and AVAR. Credentials: FIFA badge holder and appointed for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In total they have 56 tracked match appearances across 8 competitions, broken down as 42× Referee, 2× 4th Official, 9× VAR, 3× AVAR. Most-worked competitions include UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, Primeira Liga, FIFA World Cup, UEFA Conference League and UEFA Women. This profile is built from official match-appointment data.
Top Competitions
Season-by-Season Activity
Career Milestones
Career-firsts tracked in our database.
Match Activity
47 matches · 6 yearsTop 2% among Portugal officials
Peer Benchmark
Median in Portugal: 5 matches · 2 seasons
Recent Matches
Most-Officiated Teams
Least-Officiated Teams
Clubs in their current competition, ordered by how seldom this official has worked their matches.
Each number = matches officiated involving that club · 0× = never officiated them
Rarely Works With
Active officials in UEFA Champions League they have shared fewest matches with.
- 1Bastian DankertVAR · 75 in leagueNever
- 2Stuart AttwellVAR · 63 in leagueNever
- 3Massimiliano IrratiVAR · 59 in leagueNever
- 4Juan Martinez MunueraVAR · 52 in leagueNever
- 5Carlos del Cerro GrandeReferee · 52 in leagueNever
- 6Paolo ValeriVAR · 51 in leagueNever
- 7Alejandro José Hernández HernándezVAR · 50 in leagueNever
- 8Marco FritzVAR · 50 in leagueNever
Top Destinations
- 1🇵🇹Portugal11×
- 2🇺🇸United States4×
- 3🇵🇹Portugal3×
- 4🇩🇪Germany2×
- 5🇷🇸Serbia2×
- 6🇮🇹Italy1×
🌍 Geographic Reach
Countries where officiated
Officiated in 6 countries across 2 continents
Venues Visited(40)
Stadiums João Pinheiro has officiated at. Filter by competition or season to focus the map.
40 venues · 53 matches
Campo Futebol Clube AlvercaCampo Futebol Clube Alverca3 matches
Estádio do Sport Lisboa e BenficaEstadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica3 matches
Allianz ArenaMunich, Germany2 matches
Estádio Municipal de BragaBraga, Portugal2 matches
Frankfurt Am MainFrankfurt Am Main2 matches
GlasgowGlasgow2 matches
ManchesterManchester2 matches
NicosiaNicosia2 matches
Parque Desportivo Comendador Joaquim deParque Desportivo Comendador Joaquim de2 matches
San SebastianSan Sebastian2 matches
SoFi StadiumInglewood, United States2 matches
AlkmaarAlkmaar1 match
Arrowhead StadiumKansas City, United States1 match
BelgradeBelgrade, Serbia1 match
BirminghamBirmingham1 match
DeurneDeurne1 match
Estadi Ciutat de ValènciaEstadi Ciutat de Valencia1 match
Estádio Clube Desportivo das AvesEstadio Clube Desportivo das Aves1 match
Estádio Dom Afonso HenriquesEstadio Dom Afonso Henriques1 match
Estádio José AlvaladeLisbon, Portugal1 match
Estádio Municipal de Rio MaiorEstadio Municipal de Rio Maior1 match
GranadaGranada1 match
HerningHerning1 match
Juventus StadiumTurin, Italy1 match
LeipzigLeipzig1 match
LondonLondon1 match
Lotto ParkLotto Park1 match
MadridMadrid1 match
MalmoMalmo1 match
Mercedes-Benz StadiumAtlanta, United States1 match
MonchengladbachMonchengladbach1 match
Philips StadionPhilips Stadion1 match
RomeRome1 match
SivasSivas1 match
Stade de la MeinauStade de la Meinau1 match
Stadio Diego Armando MaradonaStadio Diego Armando Maradona1 match
Stadio Georgios KaraiskákiStadio Georgios Karaiskaki1 match
TSC ArenaBačka Topola, Serbia1 match
TurinTurin1 match
VillarrealVillarreal1 match
Travel map
Venues in chronological order across tracked matches.
Other officials from Portugal
Career Events
FIFA World Cup 2026
Season Reports
Frequently Asked Questions
What is João Pinheiro's primary role?▾
João Pinheiro is a Portugal football referee, and has also worked as fourth official, VAR and AVAR.
How many matches has João Pinheiro officiated?▾
João Pinheiro has 56 tracked match appearances across 8 competitions (42× Referee, 2× 4th Official, 9× VAR, 3× AVAR).
Which competitions does João Pinheiro work in?▾
João Pinheiro has most often officiated in UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, Primeira Liga, FIFA World Cup, UEFA Conference League and UEFA Women.
Is João Pinheiro a FIFA referee?▾
Yes — João Pinheiro is a FIFA badge holder, and was appointed as a match official for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Which teams has João Pinheiro officiated most?▾
Among domestic clubs, João Pinheiro has most frequently officiated matches involving Benfica, FC Alverca and SC Braga.
Organizer reviews
Referee.Observer is built by a community of referees from open, public data sources — so some details may be out of date or wrong.