Letexier to referee Argentina vs Egypt in World Cup round of 16

Francois Letexier will referee Argentina vs Egypt in the World Cup round of 16 at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, with kick-off scheduled for 5pm UK time on Tuesday.

The French official steps into the middle for his third match of the tournament, having previously taken charge of Ivory Coast’s 1-0 win over Ecuador and Cape Verde’s 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia.

Letexier, 37, brings considerable experience to the assignment. He became the youngest referee ever to oversee a European Championship final when he officiated Spain’s victory over England at Euro 2024, and has since added Champions League and Europa League final appearances to his CV — including last season’s Europa League final in which Aston Villa defeated Freiburg.

He will be assisted on the touchlines by fellow Frenchmen Cyril Mugnier and Mehdi Rahmouni. The VAR operation will also be predominantly French, with Jerome Brisard leading the video review team alongside Willy Delajod and Moroccan Hamza El Fariq.

Ivan Barton of El Salvador serves as fourth official, with compatriot David Moran acting as reserve assistant referee.

On the pitch, Lionel Messi will be looking to add to his goal tally as Argentina pursue the golden boot alongside the trophy itself, while Egypt arrive as underdogs hoping to produce one of the tournament’s major upsets.