Who is Clement Turpin? England v Croatia referee for World Cup who angered Thomas Tuchel | OneFootball

Clement Turpin will referee England vs Croatia in the World Cup 2026.

The French official once riled Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel three years ago during his time as Bayern Munich boss.

So much so that Tuchel branded Turpin “Grade E” after receiving two yellow cards in the German club's Champions League quarter-final second leg against Manchester City in 2023.

Tuchel was especially upset after Turpin brandished five yellow cards in the first half at Allianz Arena, while also handing Bayern’s Dayot Upamecano a straight red card as the last man for a challenge on Erling Haaland, though the French defender survived after VAR reversed the call due to offside.

Tuchel said of Turpin: "Two things couldn't keep up with the level - the pitch wasn't in good condition and also the referee, unfortunately, was Grade E. I'd give him a one out of 10. He was absolutely terrible. It's unbelievable at this level.

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Referee Clement Turpin looks on during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 Second Leg match between Manchester City FC and Real Madrid CF (Getty)

"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."

Despite this disagreement, Turpin is widely respected in Europe and has forged a reputation as one of the continent’s finest officials with a wealth of experience on the biggest stages in football.

Turpin has experience dealing with Jude Bellingham, too, with the official firmly dealing with the Real Madrid superstar after his attempts to unsettle Harry Kane around the penalty spot in the Champions League.

Major assignments in Turpin’s career to date include the 2021 Europa League final and 2022 Champions League final. While the Three Lions had their goalless draw with Slovenia at Euro 2024 officiated by Turpin too.