Who is the referee for Australia vs Paraguay?

Australia celebrate Nestory Irankunda's opener against Turkiye
Australia vs Paraguay is a battle for second position in Group D. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Australia and Paraguay will face off this evening in their final Group D fixtures at the 2026 World Cup.

Both sides were on the receiving end of beatdowns inflicted by the USMNT, however, they also each secured three points against Turkey.

With the USA having already qualified as top of their group, which team will finish second — and who is the referee?

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Who is the referee for Australia vs Paraguay in Group D at the 2026 World Cup?

Nestory Irankunda fires Australia ahead against Turkiye

Will Nestory Irankunda be the difference for the Socceroos? (Image credit: Getty Images)

Australia vs Paraguay will kick off at 3am British time in the early hours of Friday morning.

The match, played at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in California, will be officiated by referee Clement Turpin.

Clement Turpin walking.

Clement Turpin will take on his second 2026 World Cup game. (Image credit: Alamy)

Joining him as assistant referees are fellow countrymen Nicolas Danos and Benjamin Pages.

Jamaica's Oshane Nation will serve as the fourth official, with the VAR room yet to be announced.

Clement Turpin has prior experience as referee on the world's largest footballing stage.

The Frenchman has officiated at three World Cup tournaments, in 2018, 2022 and now the 48-team, North America edition.

Australia vs Paraguay marks his second service as referee at the 2026 World Cup, having overseen England's 4-2 victory against Croatia.

Clement Turpin brandishes a yellow card during England vs Slovenia

Turpin has officiated England on numerous occasions. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Turpin has officiated six matches prior to the upcoming Group D clash at various World Cup tournaments.

He averages an incredibly low 1.8 bookings per game on this stage, however, he has awarded four penalties in six matches.

The Frenchman has also refereed in 74 UEFA Champions League games, awarding 41 penalties and averaging 3.8 bookings per match.

Kedar Bayley
Freelance Writer

Kedar Bayley is a trained journalist specialising in culture reporting. As a fan of Liverpool FC, he writes on the Reds often. Knowledgable about all things sports, cinema and television, you can find his words in Screen International, FourFourTwo, Manchester Evening News and more.

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