World Cup 2026: Jesus Valenzuela to referee France vs England

18.07.26 FT World Cup

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England

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FIFA has revealed the identity of the referee who will officiate the third-place play-off between France and England, scheduled for Saturday at 9pm GMT in Miami. The man in charge is Venezuelan referee Jesus Valenzuela.

The 42-year-old official has already overseen three matches at this World Cup 2026: Australia-Turkey (2-0) and Bosnia and Herzegovina-Qatar (3-1) in the group stage, as well as Norway vs Ivory Coast (2-1) in the round of 16.

The native of Portuguesa has already refereed a match involving the French national team in the past. That was in the round of 16 at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, where France defeated Poland (3-1).

He awarded a penalty for a handball by Dayot Upamecano after a VAR review. The initial spot kick was saved by Hugo Lloris, but the referee ordered a retake, giving Robert Lewandowski a second chance, which he converted.

Jesus Valenzuela has made history for Venezuela by becoming the only referee from his country to be selected for two World Cup final tournaments.

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.

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