The FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off in earnest for Group D tonight as tournament co-hosts United States face Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles — and Dutch referee Danny Makkelie will be the man in the middle.

Makkelie is joined in the officiating team by fellow Dutchmen Hessel Steegstra and Jan De Vries as assistant referees, with Japan's Yusuke Araki serving as the fourth official.

Makkelie's World Cup pedigree

Makkelie is no stranger to football's grandest stage. At the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar — won by Argentina against France in a memorable final — he took charge of two group stage fixtures.

One of those was Argentina vs Poland, which the eventual champions won 2-0, with Makkelie granting Argentina a penalty in the 39th minute. Lionel Messi stepped up but missed the spot kick — one of the few blots on an otherwise extraordinary tournament for the forward, who scored four penalties in total on his way to lifting the trophy.

Messi and Kylian Mbappe shared the tournament's joint-highest tally of 10 goal involvements each in Qatar. Makkelie's other group stage assignment was Spain vs Germany, a 1-1 draw featuring goals from Alvaro Morata and Niclas Fullkrug.

Across his two group stage appearances at the 2022 World Cup, Makkelie issued six yellow cards. He also has prior experience with the USMNT, having officiated a 2015 friendly between the United States and Germany, which the Americans won 2-1.

The build-up to tonight's clash

United States arrive at this opening fixture having beaten Paraguay 2-1 in a November 2025 friendly, though their recent five-game run produced only two wins. Paraguay, meanwhile, have been in marginally better form, claiming three victories from their last five outings ahead of tonight's Group D curtain-raiser.