Jesús Valenzuela, a Venezuelan referee, has been appointed to officiate the third-place match between England and France in the 2026 World Cup. This will be Valenzuela's fourth match of the tournament.
Valenzuela, 42, has prior experience officiating in multiple tournaments, including previous World Cups and Copa América competitions. His World Cup experience includes two matches in Qatar and he is preparing for his fourth in the current 2026 tournament. During the 2026 World Cup, he has previously overseen Australia's 2-0 victory over Türkiye, Bosnia and Herzegovina's 3-1 win against Qatar, and Norway's 2-1 comeback win over Ivory Coast in the round of 32. Across these matches, Valenzuela has issued four yellow cards and no red cards.
Both England captain Harry Kane and France star Kylian Mbappé have faced Valenzuela's officiating before. He was the center referee for England's 0-0 draw with the United States in the group stage and also officiated France's 3-1 round of 16 victory over Poland.
Valenzuela will be assisted by fellow Venezuelans Jorge Urrego and Tulio Moreno as assistant referees. Jalal Jayed will serve as the fourth official, and Zakaria Brinsi as the reserve assistant referee.
England's World Cup journey concluded with a 2-1 loss to Argentina in the semifinals. France also saw its tournament end in the semifinals, with a 2-0 defeat to Spain. Both teams entered the semifinals aiming to reach the final, with France being a pre-tournament favorite seeking to build on their 2022 performance and England hoping to secure their first World Cup trophy since 1966.