Premier League referee Michael Oliver forced to withdraw from officiating World Cup match

Premier League referee Michael Oliver has been forced to withdraw from officiating Ecuador's encounter with the Ivory Coast after picking up a minor injury.

Fifa confirmed the 41-year-old's removal from the fixture, which would have been his first match of the tournament in North America.

French official Francois Letexier will now take charge of the contest, assisted by compatriots Cyril Mugnier and Mehdi Rahmouni.

Oliver's original assistants, Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring, have also been stood down.

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The governing body indicated the English referee should be fit for selection within the coming days.

Oliver previously officiated during the 2022 tournament in Qatar alongside fellow English referee Anthony Taylor.

Both England-based officials have been selected to oversee matches at this summer's competition in North America.

Australian Jarred Gillet, who relocated to England in 2019 to work in the Premier League, has also been chosen for the tournament as a specialist VAR official.

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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 officials in English football, though this profile has brought unwanted attention.

In 2025, the UK Football Policing Unit launched an investigation into abusive messages targeting the official and worked with social media platforms to identify those responsible.

The abuse followed Oliver's contentious 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 later overturned on appeal.

Somali referee Omar Artan has been a talking point of this World Cup after he was refused entry into the US.

Artan had been poised to make history as the first Somali official to take charge of a World Cup match, having been selected among seven African referees representing the Confederation of African Football.

His journey came to an abrupt halt at Miami International Airport last weekend, where he was subjected to an 11-hour immigration interview despite holding valid travel documentation.

Following further hours of detention, authorities placed him on a return flight to Istanbul.

Fifa subsequently confirmed his removal from the tournament's officiating roster, stating it holds no authority over host nation immigration matters and American authorities had indicated Artan's status would remain unchanged.

The White House official outlined President Donald Trump's broader position on tournament visitors, explaining whilst the administration wished to embrace those genuinely seeking to enjoy the competition, it would not permit the sporting event to serve as cover for those with malicious intent.

Uefa has since responded by appointing Artan to officiate the Super Cup final, where Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain will meet Europa League victors Aston Villa in Salzburg on August 12.

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