Many things should be important in the 2026 World Cup debut for the USMNT and Paraguay in Group D, but one that could be decisive is who the referee will be.
For this match, FIFA has appointed Danny Makkelie as the referee. The Dutchman is taking part in his second World Cup after being named to the edition in Qatar.
Makkelie is 43 years old and mainly officiates in the Eredivisie. He has been an international referee for 15 years, with one of the biggest matches of his career being the first leg of the Champions League semifinal between Atlético Madrid and Arsenal this year.
The crew
The experience of this referee is not limited to the Champions League, a competition in which he officiated eight matches in the latest edition. Makkelie’s background also includes matches at the Euro 2024.
Makkelie was the referee in the draw (Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
In the modern era, it is very important to know who the main referee of the match is, because he is the one in charge of the action, which now must be complemented by those reviewing each play in the VAR booth.
see also
USMNT 2026 World Cup preview: Squad breakdown, key player, and tactical analysis
Makkelie’s teammates tonight are Hessel Steegstra (Assistant referee 1 – Netherlands), Jan De Vries (Assistant referee 2 – Netherlands), Yusuke Araki (Fourth official – Japan), Jun Mihara (Reserve assistant referee – Japan), Carlos Del Cerro Grande (Video Assistant Referee – Spain), Dennis Higler (Assistant VAR – Netherlands), and Khamis Almarri (Support VAR – Qatar).
The antecedent
Makkelie has already refereed the USMNT in the past. The memory is a good one, as it came in a 2-1 win over Germany on June 10, 2015, in Cologne. In that match, Mario Götze scored for Germany, Mix Diskerud equalized, and Bobby Wood decided the winner.
