Francois Letexier will officiate the England vs. Spain Euro 2024 Final on Sunday, July 14, 2024, at the Olympiastadion Berlin, Germany.
It will be a cracker as the two European football heavyweights lock horns for one of the most coveted football trophies in Europe. Featuring two strong national teams with a robust footballing culture and a strong fanbase, Francois Letexier will hope to ace it on Sunday with nothing but perfect officiating.
Interested in knowing more about Francois Letexier? Follow us as we take a deep dive into the profile of the man who will steer the wheels of the much-anticipated Euro 2024 final clash.
Who is Francois Letexier?
Francois Letexier is a seasoned French and Union of European Football Association (UEFA) referee. Letexier was born in Bedee, France, on April 23, 1989. At age 35, the highly-rated referee is set to officiate the biggest match yet in his football officiating career.
Francois Letexier Football Officiating Career
Francois Letexier began his officiating career in the French second division, Ligue 2, in 2015 at the age of 26. After 12 months, he moved to the French elite division, Ligue 1, in 2016. His first match in Ligue 1 was the clash between Montpelier and Caen on January 23, 2016.
Since his big break into elite football officiating, he has risen fast through the ranks, officiating top matches in both club and international football. He was listed as a FIFA-recognized referee in 2017, following his professional and flawless track record in football officiating.
After earning his badge as FIFA referee in 2017, Letexier officiated his first international match in 2018 between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bulgaria.
Letexier’s first role in a UEFA competition was in April 2019, when he took charge of the UEFA Youth League final match between Chelsea and Porto youth.
Two years later, he took on a bigger assignment, officiating the 2021 Coupe de France final between PSG and Monaco.
From Coupe de France final, Letexier hit another height on his refereeing career when he was appointed as the center-referee in the 2021 Europa League final match between Manchester United and Villareal.
Francois Letexier refereeing controversies
As most match referees, Letexier has also been involved in some controversial refereeing decisions in his officiating career. During a Ligue 2 match between Le Havre and Saint Etienne in 2022, he issued four red cards and also sent off a member of Saint Etienne coaching crew.
Two months after the Saint Etienne Vs Le Havre quagmire, he was again on the spotlight for alleged bias officiating in Nice Vs Nantes Ligue 1 match. He refused to award a penalty to Nantes for a glaring handball but gave it to Nice towards the end of the game for a less-obvious incident. Two Nantes player were also red carded in the game.
Francois Letexier in Euro 2024 tournament
The England Vs Spain Euro 2024 final will not b the first match Francois Letexier will officiate. He was incharge of the Group B match between Albania and Croatia and the Group C match between Denmark and Serbia. He also officiated the match between Spain and Georgia.
On Sunday, Letexier will become the youngest European referee to officiate the UEFA Euro final at the age of 35, two years younger than Anders Frisk who did so at the age of 37.
England Vs Spain Euro 2024 Final: Kickoff, Venue, How to watch
England Vs Spain Euro 2024 final will be played on Sunday, July 14, 2024, at the Olympiastadion Berlin, Germany. The kickoff is at 20:00. It will be streamed live by UEFA broadcast partners. Nigeria and African football fans can watch live on SportyTV Nigeria and Supersport South Africa.
What are your predictions?
