Who is the French referee assigned to oversee tonight’s Group H clash between Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia?

The match official for the Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia fixture is Francois Letexier, a referee from France.

Both teams are still in contention to advance, either as runners-up in the group or as one of the top-ranked third-placed teams.

However, those two outcomes cannot happen simultaneously, meaning that at least one of the sides will be eliminated from the World Cup once the 90 minutes are up.

The match is scheduled to begin at 7 pm local time (1 am UK time) at Houston’s NRG Stadium. Meanwhile, Uruguay will face Spain at the same time in Mexico.

Taking charge on the pitch for Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia is France’s Francois Letexier, who is widely recognised as one of the leading referees in European football.

Francois Letexier has been appointed as part of the officiating team for the 2026 World Cup.

At 37 years old, Letexier made history as the youngest referee ever to officiate a European Championship final when he oversaw Spain’s victory against England two years ago.

He also took charge of Aston Villa’s Europa League final triumph over Freiburg last month.

This will be Letexier’s second appearance at this World Cup, having previously officiated Ivory Coast’s 1-0 win over Ecuador.

He will be assisted by two fellow Frenchmen, Mehdi Rahmouni and Cyril Mugnier, both serving as assistant referees — marking a notable moment for French representation in the officiating team.

The fourth official for the game will be Abongile Tom from South Africa, while his compatriot Zahele Siwela will act as the reserve official.

Details regarding the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) team are yet to be finalised.

Written by Kedar Bayley, Freelance Writer