Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli has been named to officiate the 2014 World Cup final match between Argentina and Germany in the Maracana Stadium here on Sunday.

The 42-year-old Rizzoli, an architect from Bologna who will be the third Italian to referee a World Cup final following Sergio Gonella in 1978 and Pierluigi Collina in 2002.

Sunday's final will be the fourth match refereed by Rizzoli in this World Cup as he has featured in the Group B opener between Spain and Netherlands, the third round group match between Argentina and Nigeria and the quarterfinal clash between Argentina and Belgium.

In these three matches Rizzoli officiated, he sent out a total of nine yellow cards and no red card, including one booking for Argentina and four for the Albiceleste's opponents with Nigeria and Belgium each received two.

The two assistant officials, Renato Faverani and Andrea Stefani, are also from Italy while the fourth official will be Carlos Vera of Ecuador.

Rizzoli started to work as a referee in 1998 in Serie C and emerged to the international level in 2007. He has refereed in a final in each of the two main European club competitions, including the 2010 Europa League final between Atletico Madrid and Fulham as well as the all-German Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in 2013.