FIFA confirmed on Monday the officiating crew that will take charge of the Albirroja's opening match at the 2026 World Cup against the United States on Friday, June 12, at 10 p.m. (Paraguay time) at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, in Group D.
The head referee will be Dutchman Danny Makkelie, 43, who has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2011 and, off the pitch, works as a police inspector in Rotterdam. He will be assisted on the touchlines by his compatriots Hessel Steegstra and Jan de Vries, forming a Netherlands team with experience in the UEFA Champions League.
The fourth official will be Japanese referee Yusuke Araki, while his compatriot Jun Mihara will serve as the fifth official in the role of reserve assistant referee. The technology booth will be overseen by Spaniard Carlos del Cerro Grande as the video assistant referee (VAR), alongside Dutchman Dennis Higler (AVAR) and Qatari Khamis Al-Marri (SVAR).
The appointment of the officiating crew marks another step in the final stretch toward Paraguay's return to a World Cup after 16 years, with the opening match against the host nation, the United States.