César Soto Grado is a Spanish football referee born in Candeleda (Ávila), Spain on 17 June 1980. He made his La Liga debut on 18 August 2019 and has been FIFA-listed since 2022. He is part of the current top-flight refereeing pool in Spain and is regularly relevant for pre-match analysis, appointment previews and VAR-focused discussion.
In the 2025/26 La Liga season, Soto Grado has officiated 14 league matches, averaging 22.86 fouls, 0.36 penalties, 4.29 yellow cards and 0.29 red cards per game. Those numbers point to a balanced but firm profile, with a comparatively lighter whistle in open play. For The VAR Verdict, that statistical snapshot helps readers understand the disciplinary threshold and general tone he has shown this season.