After the U.S. men’s national team’s dominant 4-1 win over Paraguay in its opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, all eyes have shifted to its second Group D game.
The U.S. will face Australia on Friday, June 19 on FOX at 3 p.m. ET (stream on FOX One).
The winner of this match would officially advance to the knockout stage, and a U.S. win, combined with a Paraguay win or draw against Türkiye, would clinch the group on Friday.
So, who is the referee for this critical match?
German official Felix Zwayer will officiate Friday’s Group D showdown. He is one of UEFA’s most experienced referees and a figure who has remained under the spotlight throughout his career.
Zwayer has been a FIFA-listed referee for more than a decade and is currently ranked in UEFA’s elite category.
He referees for SC Charlottenburg through the Berlin Football Association and has worked some of the biggest matches in international soccer.
While Friday’s match will be Zwayer’s first World Cup assignment as the lead referee, he is no stranger to major tournaments. He previously served as a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) during the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Felix Zwayer will be the referee in the USA’s match against Australia on Friday (Photo by Marcus Brandt/picture alliance via Getty Images).
Despite his extensive resume, Zwayer’s career has long been linked to a match-fixing scandal that rocked German soccer in 2005. The controversy centered around referee Robert Hoyzer, who admitted to accepting bribes to manipulate matches.
According to reports, Zwayer assisted Hoyzer in one match and allegedly accepted a payment of 300 euros in connection with the scandal. He received a six-month suspension.
The controversy resurfaced in 2021 following a heated Bundesliga match between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. After Dortmund suffered a controversial loss, then-Dortmund star Jude Bellingham publicly referenced Zwayer’s past.
“You give a referee that has match-fixed before the biggest game in Germany, what do you expect?” Bellingham said after the game.
Now, with the entire world watching, Zwayer will be the referee on Friday in Seattle as the United States look to make history.
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