Who is England vs Croatia referee? Thomas Tuchel faces reunion with official he called 'absolutely terrible' | OneFootball

Tuchel is unlikely to have been particularly delighted with a key appointment for England’s World Cup opener

The waiting game will finally be over for England tonight when they begin their World Cup campaign.

England are in Dallas to face Croatia, who they lost to in the 2018 World Cup semi-finals but then beat 1-0 in their first match at Euro 2020.

It is on paper the toughest match the Three Lions will face in Group L, with matches against Ghana and Panama to come.

Victory would be a huge step towards not just qualifying but winning the group and there will be a familiar face in the middle as England attempt to pick up those three points.

Who is England vs Croatia referee?

Clement Turpin has been appointed by FIFA to take the whistle in Dallas.

The Frenchman is one of the most well-known referees in the game. Turpin was refereeing in Ligue 1 at the age of 26 and two years later he was taking charge of European matches.

In a fiery 2018 Europa League semi-final between Arsenal and Atletico Madrid, he sent Diego Simeone to the stands early in the first half.

Turpin refereed the 2021 Europa League final and a year later took charge of the Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid.

Despite his experience at the highest level, Tuchel is unlikely to have been particularly delighted when he was informed Turpin would referee England’s clash with Croatia.

In a 2023 Champions League quarter-final between Bayern Munich and Manchester City, Turpin sent off a furious Tuchel.

The German was shown a yellow card for sarcastically applauding Turpin and was later dismissed for a further show of dissent.

Thomas Tuchel has previous with Clement Turpin

Getty

Speaking after the match, Tuchel said: “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.

"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."

Turpin was in charge of the second leg between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid this season in the Champions League, a match that led to an official complaint from Barcelona to UEFA.

They claimed that "several refereeing decisions were made that did not comply with the laws of the game" and accused the officials of an “incorrect application of the regulations".

Turpin has been the referee for seven England matches in his career, the most recent of those the emphatic 5-0 win for Tuchel’s side away to Serbia.

The Frenchman has only once before been in the middle for an England match at a major tournament. That was the 0-0 draw with Slovenia at Euro 2024.