2026 World Cup: Paraguayan referee to officiate Germany vs Ivory Coast

20.06.26 FT World Cup

Germany

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Ivory Coast

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FIFA has appointed a Paraguayan refereeing team to take charge of the second matchday in Group E of the World Cup between Germany and Ivory Coast.

Juan Gabriel Benítez has been selected as the match referee. He will be assisted by his compatriots Eduardo Cardozo and Milciades Saldívar. Saudi official Khaled Alturais will serve as fourth official, while his fellow countryman Mohamed Alabakry will be the reserve assistant referee.

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The last Paraguayan trio to officiate at a World Cup was in Russia 2018, consisting of Enrique Cáceres and his assistants Eduardo Cardozo and Juan Zorrilla. Notably, Paraguayan referees were among the big absentees at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

This clash between the Germans and the Ivorians is set for Saturday, June 20, 2026, at 7 p.m. GMT in Ontario. The match will determine the leader of Group E, as both teams secured victories in their World Cup openers.

On the opening matchday, Germany showed no mercy, demolishing Curaçao 7-1 in Houston, while Ivory Coast displayed solid defensive resilience to edge Ecuador 1-0 at the death.

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.

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