Who Is the Referee for England vs. Croatia World Cup Match?
England and Croatia will make their 2026 World Cup debut against each other at Dallas Stadium on Wednesday, June 17. Both teams will meet at a World Cup again since the 2018 World Cup semifinal, where Croatia won 2-1.
Croatia has made it into the final four in the last two World Cups, and England is one of the favorites to win the tournament this summer.
In charge of the match is French referee Clement Turpin, who has experience at World Cups and in the Champions League. Turpin was a FIFA referee at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
Turpin became a FIFA referee in 2010 and has officiated games in Ligue 1 since 2008. Turpin has officiated other important tournaments like the 2016 EUROS, 2024 EUROS, and the 2016 Men's Olympics Football Tournament in Rio, Brazil.
One of the most important games Turpin has officiated was the 2022 Champions League Final between Liverpool and Real Madrid.
For the match between England and Croatia, Turpin will be assisted by other French referees and Mexican referees.
Full Referee Team for England vs Croatia
- Main Referee: Clement Turpin (France)
- Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Danos (France)
- Assistant Referee 2: Benjamin Pages (France)
- 4th Official: Katia Garcia (Mexico)
- Reserve Assistant Referee: Sandra Ramirez (Mexico)
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This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 3:44 PM.