Faghani confirmed as referee for England vs Mexico at Azteca in World Cup last 16

Alireza Faghani, the Australian referee who missed a widely criticised penalty decision in France’s opening fixture against Senegal, has been appointed to officiate England’s Round of 16 tie against Mexico at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.

Faghani will be assisted by fellow Australians George Lakindris and Andrew Lindsay as his assistant referees. Morocco’s Jalal Jayed takes the fourth official role, with Zakaria Brinsi serving as reserve assistant referee.

The appointment adds another layer of intrigue to a fixture already generating significant debate. England face the dual challenge of Mexico City’s altitude — which Thomas Tuchel’s squad has had limited time to acclimatise to — and the threat of a thunderstorm at kick-off, after a proposed rescheduling to an earlier slot was ultimately rejected.

Faghani, 48, is no stranger to high-profile occasions. He refereed the 2018 World Cup round-of-16 thriller between France and Argentina — a 4-3 France victory — issuing eight cards and awarding a penalty inside 13 minutes for a foul on a teenage Kylian Mbappe. At this tournament in North America, he has now overseen three matches: France vs Senegal and Portugal vs Colombia, the latter also marred by a controversial disallowed goal in the closing stages.

Across his World Cup appearances, Faghani averages nearly five bookings per match and awards a penalty roughly once every four games. He has shown two red cards at the tournament. The bulk of his experience comes from the A-League, where he has refereed 119 matches at an average of four cards per game, and from continental competition — 62 AFC Champions League Elite fixtures and eight FIFA Club World Cup matches. He also took charge of Chelsea’s 3-0 win over PSG at the 2025 Club World Cup, also held in North America.

England’s clash with Mexico was the last Round of 16 fixture to have its schedule confirmed, and the altitude and weather conditions at the Azteca have dominated pre-match discussion. The addition of a referee with a contentious recent record at this very tournament ensures the off-field storylines will run right up to kick-off.