Egypt-Argentina referee Letexier removed from World Cup list

Egypt's Mohamed Salah (10) talks with referee Francois Letexier, of France, during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Argentina and Egypt in Atlanta. (AP)

LOS ANGELES, July 14: French referees François Letexier and Clément Turpin will not officiate any more matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after FIFA confirmed the 13 referees selected for the tournament’s final four fixtures.

The pair have been forced to leave the competition despite France still being in the race for the title. FIFA regulations prevent referees from nations still competing in the tournament from taking charge of the semifinals, third-place match or final to avoid any possible conflict of interest.

Letexier’s final appearance came in the quarterfinal between Argentina and Egypt, which Argentina won 3-2. The French referee came under scrutiny from the Egyptian camp over a disputed penalty decision in the build-up to Argentina’s late winning goal.

Turpin’s final assignment was England’s 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway, a match that sparked debate after Norwegian players claimed Jude Bellingham’s equalizer followed contact between the ball and a suspended camera cable. FIFA later supported Turpin’s handling of the incident.

Although Turpin and Letexier have ended their World Cup duties, French referee Jérôme Brisard remains available as a VAR official and could still be selected for the remaining matches.