Who is François Letexier, referee for Liverpool vs Real Madrid in Champions League?

The Frenchman refereed when Spain defeated England in the Euro 2024 final and now has two representatives from each country.

French referee François Letexier, 35, will officiate the Champions League match between Liverpool and Real Madrid at Anfield this Wednesday. This is the fourth time Letexier will oversee a match involving Los Blancos in Europe's premier club competition.

Meet François Letexier

Born on April 23, 1989 in Bédée, France, Letexier began his refereeing career in Ligue 1 in 2016, making his debut in a match between Montpellier and Caen. By 2017, he had earned his place on FIFA's list of international referees. His first senior international assignment came in March 2018, when he officiated a friendly match between Bulgaria and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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Letexier has a history of managing major competitions. He took charge of the 2021 Coupe de France Final between Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain and served as Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for the 2021 UEFA Europa League Final between Villarreal and Manchester United. In August 2023, he officiated the UEFA Super Cup match between Manchester City and Sevilla.

As already mentioned, this match at Anfield will be his fourth match against Madrid in the Champions League. Notably, he oversaw the thrilling 3-3 draw against Manchester City in the first leg of the 2024 quarter-finals (where he inadvertently made headlines by accidentally gesticulating Erling Haaland in the face). He was also responsible for Real Madrid's 4-2 win over Napoli in the group stage and their 2-0 victory against Chelsea in the first leg of the 2022/23 quarter-final.

It's fair to say that perhaps the most notable highlight of Letexier's career was his appearance in the UEFA Euro 2024 final between Spain and England in Berlin in July. At 35 years and 82 days, he became the youngest referee to officiate a European Championship final, surpassing the previous record set by Anders Frisk, who was 37 at Euro 2000.

Instead of these countries, he now stands among the most successful teams representing each of them. The Reds are in a very strong position in the new UCL format, while Los Blancos' progression, especially in a seeded position, is very much on the line.