Jalal Jayed has been appointed as the referee for Germany vs Paraguay in today’s 2026 World Cup Round of 32 clash, according to FIFA match assignments confirmed ahead of kickoff at 4:30 PM (ET).
All eyes are now on the showdown between Germany and Paraguay at Boston Stadium, a knockout battle where every decision from the match official could carry major weight. Germany will play with their home uniform, whereas Paraguay don their away jersey.
Jayed, who has already been part of the refereeing rotation, now steps into one of the most scrutinized fixtures of the round, where discipline, control and VAR management will be under the spotlight from the opening whistle. What happens today will determine Germany and Paraguay’s World Cup future.
What is Jalal Jayed’s refereeing style?
Jalal Jayed is known for a disciplined, card-controlled refereeing style that prioritizes game flow while still maintaining strict physical-duel management. He is not afraid to assert his authority early in a game, which is reflected in his career numbers where he averages 4.57 yellow cards per game.
Jalal Jayed of Morocco during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group K match (Source: Michael Steele/Getty Images)
The Moroccan official balances his strictness with a tendency to let the physical, general flow of play continue when appropriate, but he clamps down aggressively on dissent, reckless challenges or tactical fouls.
His authoritative approach has made him a trusted hand for FIFA and CAF in high-stakes fixtures, ensuring that player emotions do not boil over. Across his international and domestic matches, he has also shown a decisive nature in the penalty area, averaging nearly 0.5 penalties awarded per match.
Who are the assistant referees and VAR officials?
Jalal Jayed is supported by a highly experienced, multinational team of officials. His Assistant Referees on the sidelines are his compatriots from Morocco, Zakaria Brinsi and Mostafa Akarkad, who regularly share the pitch with him.
The Fourth Official for his crew is China’s Ma Ning, with Zhou Fei serving as the reserve assistant referee. Behind the monitors, the Video Assistant Referee team consists of the following lineup:
- Video Assistant Referee (VAR): Tatiana Guzman (Nicaragua)
- Assistant VAR 1 (AVAR 1): Hamza El Fariq (Morocco)
- Support VAR (AVAR 2): Abdullah Alshehri (Saudi Arabia)
