Germany's Round of 32 clash against Paraguay on June 29 will be officiated by experienced Moroccan referee Jalal Jayed, FIFA confirmed ahead of Monday's knockout fixture.
It will be the second time Jayed has taken charge of a Germany match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after previously overseeing their emphatic 7-1 victory over Curaçao during the group stage.
The winner of the match at Gillette Stadium will advance to the Round of 16, where either France or Sweden awaits. Germany enters the knockout stage after winning Group E, while Paraguay qualified through Group D after a strong group-stage campaign.
Jalal Jayed Returns as Main Referee for Germany vs. Paraguay
Born in 1987, Jalal Jayed has become one of Africa's fastest-rising officials and is making history at the 2026 World Cup.
He became the first Moroccan central referee to officiate a men's FIFA World Cup match since 2002, following in the footsteps of Mohamed Guezzaz. Before arriving at the World Cup, Jayed had already established himself as one of Morocco's top referees, regularly officiating in the Moroccan Botola Pro league and CAF competitions.
He has played in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup, and a number of prestigious CAF Champions League games. He also had the opportunity to officiate Portugal's 5-0 win over Uzbekistan earlier in this tournament, which provided him with experience in dealing with top European teams.
(Photo by Torbjorn Tande/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
Overall, Jayed is considered a referee who lets games run smoothly but is still able to control them when necessary. He did not give a single yellow card and gave one penalty during Germany's 7-1 win over Curaçao.
Full Referee Team for Germany vs. Paraguay
FIFA has confirmed the following officiating crew for Germany vs. Paraguay:
- Referee: Jalal Jayed (Morocco)
- Assistant Referee 1: Zakaria Brinsi (Morocco)
- Assistant Referee 2: Mostafa Akarkad (Morocco)
- Fourth Official: Ma Ning (China)
- Reserve Assistant Referee: Zhou Fei (China)
Germany enters the Round of 32 after topping Group E despite a surprise defeat to Ecuador in its final group-stage match, while Paraguay booked its knockout place after an impressive campaign in Group D.
The winner will advance to the Round of 16, making Jayed's third assignment one of the highest-profile knockout fixtures of the tournament.
