Kuipers has served as the referee in three matches so far. First, he officiated Denmark’s 2-1 loss to Belgium, allowing play to be stopped in the 10th minute to honor Christian Eriksen’s shirt number.
After the midfielder’s cardiac arrest against Finland, he joined players from both teams in a round of applause.
Kuipers also officiated in Spain’s 5-0 win over Slovakia in the group stage, and he showed he wasn’t afraid to use his card, booking four players.
He then returned for Denmark’s quarter-final match against the Czech Republic. While he has yet to preside over an England game at this summer’s tournament, he was the fourth official in the Three Lions’ 1-0 win over Croatia and has refereed in several of their games.
He owns a supermarket chain by day, but he is also a highly experienced referee, having worked at the European Championships in 2012 and 2016, as well as the World Cups in 2014 and 2018.
His business ventures have earned him the title of “the world’s richest referee,” with reports in 2016 estimating his fortune to be worth more than £11 million.
His supermarkets are so profitable that they sponsor Formula One driver Max Verstappen, who competes for the Netherlands.
Kuipers plays in the Eredivisie on a regular basis, but you may recognize him from club football’s European competitions, as he played in the 2013 Europa League final (which Chelsea won) and the 2014 Champions League final.
He will now officiate the biggest game of the summer on Sunday when England take on Italy in the final.
