The referee from Lanzarote, Alejandro Hernández Hernández, is already back home. After concluding his participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, the official was welcomed this Wednesday at the César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport by a large delegation of family, friends, and acquaintances who wanted to pay him a warm tribute for his historic presence in the highest competition of world football.
Balloons, whistles, applause, and yellow banners welcomed the only Spanish main referee chosen by FIFA to officiate matches at the World Cup event, in an atmosphere filled with emotion and pride for the achievement reached by the referee from Lanzarote.
The most touching moment of the day came when his young daughter, as soon as she saw him appear at the arrivals terminal, ran towards him to embrace him in a long and heartfelt hug. An image that reflected the reunion after several weeks of separation and that made evident the personal sacrifice involved in participating in a tournament of this magnitude. The emotional moment was captured by the cameras of La Voz.
During the championship, Hernández Hernández officiated as the main referee in the match between Brazil and Haiti, played on June 20. In that commitment, he was accompanied by Spanish assistants José Enrique Naranjo and Diego Sánchez, while the Swiss Sandro Schaerer served as the fourth official and Stephane De Almeida as the fifth, completing the refereeing team.
The designation of Alejandro Hernández Hernández for the 2026 World Cup represented a new recognition of a brilliant international career and confirmed the referee from Lanzarote as one of the great references in Spanish refereeing.