César Soto Grado

César Soto Grado
Full name César Soto Grado
Born (1980-06-17) June 17, 1980
Candeleda, Province of Ávila, Castile and León, Spain
Domestic
Years League Role
2010–2018 Segunda División B Referee
2018–2019 Segunda División Referee
2019– La Liga Referee
International
Years League Role
2022– FIFA Referee

César Soto Grado (born 17 June 1980) is a Spanish referee who officiates in La Liga. He has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2022.[1][2][3]

Career

Soto Grado began officiating in the Segunda División B during the 2010–11 season. After several years in the lower divisions, he was promoted to the Segunda División for the 2018–19 season, and the following year he ascended to La Liga alongside fellow referee, Valentín Pizarro Gómez.[4]

He has officiated matches in the Copa del Rey, Supercopa de España, and qualifying rounds for both the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa Conference League.[5]

Season record

Category Country Years Matches
Segunda División B  Spain 2010–2011 13
Segunda División B  Spain 2012–2018 80
Segunda División  Spain 2018–2019 21
La Liga  Spain 2019– 114[6]

References

  1. ^ "Soto Grado: César Soto Grado – Referee". BDFutbol. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  2. ^ Soto Grado y Pizarro Gómez, nuevos árbitros de Primera División para la temporada 2019/2020, auf marca.com, 2 July 2019 (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  3. ^ "FIFA Refereeing 2020" (PDF). Retrieved 2025-10-26.
  4. ^ "Soto Grado and Pizarro Gómez, new First Division referees for the 2019–20 season". Marca (in Spanish). 2 July 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  5. ^ Peinado, Daniel L. (19 April 2024). "Who is César Soto Grado, the referee for the Real Madrid–Barcelona Clásico?". AS USA. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  6. ^ "Who is César Soto Grado? Referee of the Real Sociedad vs Villarreal LaLiga match". DAZN.