NEW DELHI: England’s 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-final against Norway will be officiated by French referee Clément Turpin. The game at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium will be Turpin’s fourth game in the tournament and the ninth World Cup game of his career. The winner of the quarter-finals will face either Argentina or Switzerland in the semi-finals.
Who is Clement Turpin ?
Turpin was also the referee when England beat Croatia 4-2 in their opening game of the tournament.The 44-year-old previously worked at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and is regarded as one of Europe’s leading referees.At this year’s tournament, he officiated England’s win over Croatia, Paraguay’s draw with Australia and Colombia’s round of 16 victory in Ghana.He will be assisted by his French colleagues Nicolas Danos and Benjamin Pages. Spaniard Alejandro Hernandez will be the fourth official, while Jose Enrique Naranjo will be the reserve assistant referee.
Good record for England
England have generally enjoyed good results under Turpin. Sunday’s game will be the ninth time that the Three Lions have played.England have won five of their previous eight games with Turpin in charge. Their only defeat under him was a 0-0 result against Slovenia at UEFA Euro 2024.
Tuchel on Turpin
Despite his reputation as one of the best referees in Europe, Turpin has had his share of controversy.In 2023, England manager Thomas Tuchel, then coach of Bayern Munich, strongly criticized the French referee after Bayern’s Champions League quarter-final against Manchester City.Tuchel was unhappy after Turpin was shown five yellow cards in the first half and initially sent off Dayot Upamecano before VAR overturned the decision for offside.“Two things could not keep up with the level – the pitch was not in good condition and also the referee, unfortunately, was Grade E. I would really give it a one out of 10. It was absolutely terrible. It is unbelievable at this level.“He went for everything and anything. Everything was against us. In the end, we were never in a position to turn things around with three men against us. That’s a fact,” said Tuchel.Despite this criticism, Turpin remains one of the most respected referees in world football. I officiated the 2021 Europa League final and the 2022 UEFA Champions League final and managed several high-profile international matches.He has also officiated matches involving Jude Bellingham in club football and is known for his calm approach in high-pressure situations as he prepares to take charge of another important England World Cup match.