The Englishman recovered from an injury, making it impossible to attend his first scheduled match at the World Cup.

English referee Michael Oliver missed his first scheduled match at the World Championship 2026 due to injury. The BBC reports this.

The 41-year-old Englishman will officiate the Group E match between Cote d'Ivoire and Ecuador in Philadelphia, replacing the Frenchman Francois Letexier.

FIFA stated that Oliver will return in the coming days and will be available for selection for the fights.

Oliver is one of six English field referees at the world championship. Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn, Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring served as his assistants in the tournament.

Michael has been working at English Premier League matches since 2010 and 2018, with a growing number of inclusions up to the UEFA refereeing list. Having officiated at the matches of the 2022 Emergency and Euro 2024.

It was previously reported that VAR in the USA-Paraguay match was unique for the World Cup.