New Delhi: England’s World Cup 2026 quarter-final match against Norway will be officiated by experienced French referee Clément Turpin. The game at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium will be Turpin’s fourth game and ninth career World Cup game. The winners of the quarter-finals will face Argentina or Switzerland in the semi-finals.
Who is Clement Turpin? ?
Turpin was also the referee when England defeated Croatia 4-2 in the opening game of this World Cup.The 44-year-old referee has previously coached the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and is considered one of the top referees in Europe.In this year’s tournament, he officiated England’s victory over Croatia, Paraguay’s 0-0 draw with Australia and Colombia’s last-16 victory over Ghana.He would be assisted by French officials Nicolas Danos and Benjamin Pages. Spain’s Alejandro Hernandez will serve as fourth official and Jose Enrique Naranjo will serve as substitute assistant referee.
England’s good record
Under Turpin’s leadership, the England team has generally achieved good results. Sunday’s game will be his ninth appearance in charge of the Three Lions.England have won five of Turpin’s last eight games in charge. Their only draw under his leadership was a 0-0 draw against Slovenia at Euro 2024.
Tuchel talks about Turpin
Although Turpin is regarded as one of the best referees in Europe, he has also had his share of controversy.In 2023, England coach Thomas Tuchel, then coach of Bayern Munich, strongly criticized the French referee after Bayern’s Champions League quarter-final match against Manchester City.Tuchel was unhappy with Turpin showing five yellow cards in the first half and initially sending Dayot Upamecano off, before VAR overturned the offside decision.“Two things don’t keep up with this level – the pitch is not in good condition and unfortunately the referee is an E-level referee. I would give him a perfect 10. He was absolutely terrible. It’s unbelievable at this level.”“He whistled at everything. Everything was against us. At the end of the day, we could never turn things around with three people against us. That’s the truth,” Tuchel said.Despite these criticisms, Turpin remains one of the most respected referees in world football. He officiated the 2021 UEFA Europa League final and the 2022 UEFA Champions League final, and has officiated many high-profile international matches.He also officiated Jude Bellingham’s match in club football and is known for his calm approach in high-pressure situations as he prepares to officiate in another important World Cup match for England.
