Who is Clement Turpin? FIFA World Cup quarter-final referee England vs. Norway, which Thomas Tuchel once described as “Grade E”.

Clement Turpin (Image credit: X) NEW DELHI: England’s 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-final against Norway will be officiated by veteran French referee Clément Turpin. The match at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium will be Turpin’s fourth match of the tournament and ninth career World Championship match.The winner of the quarter-finals will face either Argentina or Switzerland in the semi-finals.

Who is Clement Turpin?

Turpin was also the referee when England beat Croatia 4–2 in their opening match of the tournament.The 44-year-old has previously officiated at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and is regarded as one of Europe’s best referees.At this year’s tournament, he celebrated England’s victory over Croatia, Paraguay’s goalless draw with Australia and Colombia’s round of 16 victory over Ghana.He will be assisted by French colleagues Nicolas Danos and Benjamin Pages. The fourth referee will be the Spaniard Alejandro Hernandez and the substitute assistant referee will be Jose Enrique Naranjo.

A good record for England

England generally enjoyed good results under Turpin. Sunday’s game will be the ninth time he has managed the Three Lions.England had won five of their previous eight matches with Turpin in charge. Their only draw under it was a 0-0 result against Slovenia at UEFA Euro 2024.

Tuchel on Turpin

Despite his reputation as one of Europe’s best referees, Turpin has had his fair share of controversy.In 2023, English manager Thomas Tuchel, then coach of Bayern Munich, heavily criticized the French referee after Bayern’s Champions League quarter-final against Manchester City.Tuchel was unhappy after Turpin showed five yellow cards in the first half and first sent off Dayot Upamecan before VAR overturned the decision for offside.“Two things couldn’t keep up with the level – the pitch wasn’t in good condition and also the referee was unfortunately an E. I’d give him a 1 out of 10. He was absolutely terrible. It’s unbelievable at this level.”“He whistled 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,” said Tuchel.Despite this criticism, Turpin remains one of the most respected referees in world football. In 2021, he officiated the 2021 Europa League Final and the 2022 UEFA Champions League Final, and officiated several high-profile international matches.He also managed Jude Bellingham’s games in club football and is known for his calm approach in high-pressure situations as he prepares for England’s next important World Cup game.