In their first test in Group D of the 2026 World Cup, the Turkish national team will face Australia in a match officiated by Venezuelan referee Jesus Valenzuela. The game will kick off at 07:00 TRT.
According to FIFA's appointment, Valenzuela's assistants will be Jorge Urrego and Tulio Moreno. This means the whistle for Turkey's opening match in the tournament will be blown by a Venezuelan referee.
The Turkish national team aims to start the World Cup group stage with a win, securing 3 points. The result of this first match is seen as an important start for the direction of the group.
Career of Jesus Valenzuela
Jesus Noel Valenzuela Saez was born on November 24, 1983. He began his refereeing career in the 2011-12 Venezuela Primera División season.
Valenzuela has been appointed as an international referee by FIFA since 2013. On December 14, 2021, he was named CONMEBOL's best referee of the year 2021 by the IFFHS.