French referee Clement Turpin, who was previously described as 'Grade E' by England coach Thomas Tuchel, has been appointed to officiate England's opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 against Croatia on Wednesday. The announcement was made by Reuters on Monday.
Turpin's Controversial History with Tuchel
Turpin had a notable run-in with Tuchel when the latter was the manager of Bayern Munich. During the second leg of the 2023 Champions League quarter-final against Manchester City, Turpin sent Tuchel to the stands after issuing him two yellow cards for dissent. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, but Manchester City advanced with a 4-1 aggregate victory.
In that match, Turpin handed out five yellow cards in the first half and initially sent off Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano with a straight red card. However, the red card was later overturned following a VAR review. Tuchel was highly critical of Turpin's performance after the match, stating that both the pitch conditions and the referee were below the required standard.
Tuchel's Criticism
'Two things couldn't keep up with the level, the pitch wasn't in good condition and also the referee, unfortunately, was Grade E,' Tuchel had said, as quoted by Reuters. He further added, 'I'd give him a one out of 10. He was absolutely terrible. It's unbelievable at this level. He was whistling 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.'
Match Details
England will face Croatia at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The match is scheduled for Wednesday and will be a crucial encounter for both teams in the group stage of the tournament.
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