French referees Turpin and Letexier selected for 2026 FIFA World Cup
French referees Clément Turpin and François Letexier have been selected by FIFA to officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the French Football Federation (FFF) has confirmed. The announcement of the 52 center referees, 88 assistant referees, and 30 video match officials for the expanded 48-team tournament was made on Thursday.
Turpin, 41, will make history by becoming only the second Frenchman to officiate at three separate World Cup tournaments, having previously been selected for the 2018 and 2022 editions. He will be joined by compatriot François Letexier, 35, who will be making his World Cup finals debut. In a statement, French Football Federation (FFF) president Philippe Diallo hailed the double selection as "excellent news for French football." He stated, "This double selection is excellent news for French refereeing and, more broadly, for our football. We can be proud to have two of the world's best referees among us. The confidence shown by FIFA reflects the quality of French refereeing, which is sometimes criticized nationally but widely recognized on the international stage."
According to the FFF, France is one of only six nations to have two referees selected for the tournament, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The appointments solidify France's reputation as a leading nation for elite-level match officials. Turpin, an experienced official who has taken charge of a UEFA Champions League final, will join an exclusive club. He will become only the second French referee, after Joël Quiniou, to officiate at three World Cups, having been part of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments in Russia and Qatar, respectively.
For Letexier, the 2026 tournament will be his first World Cup assignment, marking a significant milestone in his rapid rise as a top-tier international referee. The selections were part of a broader FIFA announcement that also named French officials Jérôme Brisard as a VAR, and Nicolas Danos, Cyril Mugnier, Benjamin Pagès, and Mehdi Rahmouni as assistant referees. The large French contingent underscores the high regard in which the nation's officials are held by the sport's global governing body.
The 2026 World Cup will be the first 48-team edition of the tournament and will be the first to be hosted by three nations. The expanded format and the logistical scale of the tournament will place significant demands on the selected officials. The appointments for Turpin and Letexier are seen as a significant honor and a testament to their consistent performances in high-pressure matches in both domestic and European competitions. The French officials will now begin their physical and technical preparations for the tournament, which is set to begin in June 2026.
