A highly experienced referee who began his professional career in 1992.
Carlos Amarilla's first international fixture was a match played in 1997 between Uruguay and Ecuador, a qualifier for the 1998 FIFA World Cup™, after which he took part in the Sudamericano U-17.

He was subsequently appointed to officiate in two editions of the continental U-20 tournament, in 1999 and 2003, and made his debut in the finals of FIFA tournament at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina in 2001.

At club level he has refereed three Copa Sudamericana finals, in 2005, 2006 and 2008, as well as one Recopa final in 2006, which pitted Boca Juniors of Argentina against São Paulo of Brazil.

During the 2007 Copa Libertadores he presided over seven matches, including a semi-final between Cucuta Deportivo of Colombia and Boca Juniors.

Amarilla, who also has experience in the top-flight Ecuadorian league, is one of seven referees to have officiated in two editions of the FIFA Confederations Cup, having taken charge of three games between the 2003 and 2005 tournaments.

He was chosen to referee at the finals of the 2006 FIFA World Cup™, where he took charge of three first-round matches.

The Paraguayan electrical engineer holds an important record, having presided over two consecutive Copa América finals, in 2004 and 2007, both of which featured Brazil and Argentina. Uruguay's Ramon Barreto also refereed two finals in 1975 and 1979, although at that time the competition was played on a home-and-away basis, rather than in a single host country.