Who Is the Referee in Mexico vs. England World Cup Match?

A highly experienced referee will be in charge of the Mexico vs. England Round of 16 match on July 5.

by Emmanuel Mendez

Jul 5, 2026

Match referee Alireza Faghani gestures during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group K match between Colombia and Portugal at Miami Stadium.

MB Media/Getty Images

Mexico vs. England will be the final Round of 16 game on Sunday, July 5, and the atmosphere will be rocking at the Mexico City Stadium.

The heavyweight matchup is one of the most even games of the Round of 16 based on their performances so far in the 2026 World Cup.

The winner will next play Norway in the quarterfinals next Saturday, July 11, at Miami Stadium.

For the match, the referee in charge of officiating the game is Australian-Iranian referee Alireza Faghani.

Who Is Mexico vs. England Referee Alireza Faghani?

Captains James Rodriguez #10 of Colombia and Cristiano Ronaldo #7 of Portugal pose with Referee Alireza Faghani and match officials at the coin toss.

Photo by Hannah Peters - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

Faghani is highly experienced in officiating World Cup games, and the 2026 tournament is his fourth World Cup.

Faghani became a FIFA referee in 2008 and has officiated at the 2014, 2018, 2022, and 2026 World Cups. The Mexico vs. England match will be his third game of 2026; he was the referee for France vs. Senegal and Colombia vs. Portugal.

This will be the second time Faghani has refereed a Mexico game at a World Cup. He previously officiated the iconic Mexico vs. Germany match in the 2018 World Cup, where Mexico defeated the Germans 1-0 in Russia.

Faghani will be assisted by Australian and Moroccan referees for Sunday's knockout match in Mexico City.