English referee Michael Oliver has been forced to withdraw from his opening refereeing assignment at the 2026 FIFA World Cup due to an injury sustained ahead of the fixture. The veteran Premier League official was originally scheduled to take charge of the highly anticipated Group E encounter between Ivory Coast and Ecuador on Sunday.
Sky Sports News reported that FIFA formally confirmed the late change to the matchday officiating panel in Philadelphia. Oliver’s designated English assistant referees have also been stood down from the match as part of the standard protocol, with an entirely new European refereeing delegation drafted in to handle the group fixture.
French referee François Letexier will now serve as the primary match official, leading a complete replacement team of assistants from France. FIFA’s medical and refereeing committees clarified that Oliver is expected to remain with the tournament delegation in North America and should be available for selection for upcoming match appointments in the coming days once his physical condition is re-evaluated.
Oliver enters the tournament as one of only two English referees selected by FIFA to officiate at this expanded 48-team World Cup, alongside fellow Premier League official Anthony Taylor. The sudden withdrawal alters the matchday operations for the opening round of Group E, which also features four-time world champions Germany facing tournament debutants Curaçao in Houston.
