Michael Oliver withdraws from officiating World Cup match
Premier League referee Michael Oliver has been compelled to withdraw from officiating Ecuador’s encounter with the Ivory Coast after sustaining a minor injury, reports BritPanorama.
FIFA confirmed the 41-year-old’s removal from this match, which was set to be his debut game of the tournament in North America.
French official Francois Letexier will now oversee the contest, supported by compatriots Cyril Mugnier and Mehdi Rahmouni. Oliver’s original assistants, Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring, have also been replaced.
The governing body indicated that the English referee is expected to be fit for selection within the coming days. Oliver previously officiated during the 2022 tournament in Qatar alongside fellow English referee Anthony Taylor.
Both officials have been chosen to manage matches at this summer’s tournament in North America. Australian Jarred Gillet, who relocated to England in 2019 to work in the Premier League, has also been enlisted as a specialist VAR official for the event.
Oliver must now wait to discover which match will mark his first involvement in the competition following his recovery. The referee has established himself as one of the most recognisable figures in English football, although this prominence has attracted unwanted attention. In 2025, the UK Football Policing Unit initiated an investigation into abusive messages targeting Oliver and collaborated with social media platforms to identify the culprits.
This abuse followed his controversial decision to dismiss Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly during a match against Wolves nearly a year and a half ago, a red card that was subsequently overturned on appeal.
As the tournament progresses without Oliver, the significant spotlight remains on the officials navigating the challenges presented both on and off the field.
