2026 World Cup: Two French referees selected

World Cup 2026 09 April 2026 at 15:09

Joshua SOSSOU

News Editor

The FFF proudly announced on Thursday the appointment of two French referees for the 2026 World Cup.

"François Letexier and Clément Turpin are among the 52 central referees selected by FIFA to officiate at the 2026 World Cup, which will take place from June 11 to July 19 in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Among the 48 qualified nations, only six will have at least two central referees from the same country. This is the third time in 23 editions of the tournament that France has fielded two main referees. The previous instances were in 1990 in Italy with Joël Quiniou and Michel Vautrot, and in 2022 in Qatar with Stéphanie Frappart and Clément Turpin," the French Football Federation celebrated in a statement.

The French delegation will also include five other officials: Jérôme Brisard as a VAR assistant, along with Nicolas Danos, Benjamin Pagès, Cyril Mugnier, and Mehdi Rahmouni as assistant referees.

"This double selection is excellent news for French refereeing and, more broadly, for our football. We can be proud to have among us two of the best referees in the world. The trust shown by FIFA reflects the quality of French refereeing, sometimes criticized at home but widely recognized on the international stage. I also want to acknowledge the work of the refereeing department, which supports our officials every day. The FFF is making significant investments in this area, and having our referees at the world's biggest competition is a testament to the results of an ambitious policy in favor of refereeing. I hope this will inspire new vocations," said FFF president Philippe Diallo.