Clement Turpin, the referee for England's World Cup quarter-final against Norway on Saturday night, has been heavily criticised by Thomas Tuchel in the past. The Three Lions face Norway in Miami at 10pm BST, aiming to reach the World Cup semi-finals for only the fourth time in their history.
Turpin's previous encounter with Tuchel
Turpin was in charge of the second leg of the 2022-23 Champions League quarter-final between Bayern Munich and Manchester City in April 2023. The match ended 1-1, giving City a 4-1 aggregate win. During the game, Tuchel received two yellow cards from Turpin. After the match, the German manager did not hold back, saying: '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. He was whistling for everything and anything. Everything was against us.'
Turpin's World Cup record
This will be Turpin's fourth match of the 2026 World Cup. He officiated England's opening game, a 4-2 win over Croatia, where he correctly awarded a penalty to England after Luka Modric fouled Noni Madueke and allowed Harry Kane to retake it after Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic came off his line too early. He also oversaw Paraguay's goalless draw with Australia and Colombia's 1-0 win over Ghana. Turpin has shown seven yellow cards in his three games at this tournament.
Tuchel's broader concerns about refereeing
Prior to the Croatia game, Tuchel acknowledged Turpin as a 'top referee' but has been generally unhappy with officiating standards at the World Cup. After England's win over Mexico, he stated: 'The referees are just not good enough.' The match against Norway carries further disciplinary risks, as four England players will miss a potential semi-final against Argentina or Switzerland if they are booked.
Match officials for England vs Norway
Referee: Clement Turpin (FRA). Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Danos (FRA). Assistant Referee 2: Benjamin Pages (FRA). Fourth Official: Alejandro Hernandez (ESP). Reserve Assistant Referee: Jose Enrique Naranjo (ESP). VAR: Jerome Brisard (FRA). Assistant VAR: Armando Villarreal (USA). Support VAR: Carlos del Cerro Grande (ESP).
