Alireza Faghani to referee France v Senegal at 2026 World Cup | OneFootball

FIFA has announced the referee appointments for the next 2026 World Cup fixtures. Australian Alireza Faghani will take charge of France’s opener against Senegal on Tuesday at 21:00, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.

The 48-year-old is a regular at major international tournaments. Born in Iran, he officiated there for more than a decade before relocating to Australia, and has been a FIFA international since 2008.

The 2026 tournament will be his third World Cup, following appearances in 2018 and 2022.

In Russia in 2018, he oversaw the round-of-16 thriller that France won 4-3 against Argentina, a landmark result on their path to a second world title.

More recently, Faghani was appointed to referee the Club World Cup final won by Chelsea against PSG, which finished 3-0.

Source: L'Équipe