England’s opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Croatia will be overseen by French referee Clément Turpin, the same official who was heavily criticised by England manager Thomas Tuchel during his time in club football.
FIFA confirmed that Turpin will take charge of Wednesday’s Group L clash in Dallas, assisted by fellow French officials Nicolas Danos and Benjamin Pages. The appointment has attracted attention because of Tuchel’s outspoken comments following a Champions League quarter-final between FC Bayern Munich and Manchester City in 2023.
At the time, Tuchel was sent off after receiving two yellow cards from Turpin during Bayern’s elimination by Manchester City. Following the match, the German coach delivered a scathing assessment of the referee’s performance, describing him as “Grade E” and rating his display just one out of ten. Tuchel argued that several key decisions had gone against his side, including a red card shown to defender Dayot Upamecano that was later overturned after a VAR review.
Turpin has also previously crossed paths with England stars. During a Champions League semi-final in 2024, he intervened in an exchange involving Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane before a penalty kick. Kane later converted the spot-kick and downplayed the incident afterward.
Despite the history, England midfielder Jordan Henderson insisted the squad has no concerns about the appointment. He said the team expects the tournament to feature the world’s top officials and stressed that England’s focus remains firmly on its own performance rather than refereeing matters.
Turpin is one of Europe’s most experienced referees. He has officiated the 2021 Europa League final, the 2022 Champions League final and several matches at both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. He also handled England’s goalless draw with Slovenia at Euro 2024.
England will begin their World Cup campaign against Croatia hoping to make an early statement, while Tuchel and his players will be eager for the referee to stay out of the spotlight and let the football take centre stage.