World Cup 2026: Referee change for Ivory Coast – Ecuador

Africa 13 June 2026 at 07:06

Imed Ben Amara

News Editor

14.06.26 FT World Cup

Ivory Coast

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Ecuador

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FIFA has announced a change in the officiating team set to take charge of the opening Group E match of the World Cup between Ivory Coast and Ecuador.

Originally appointed to oversee this encounter, scheduled for Sunday, June 14 at 11pm GMT, Michael Oliver has been ruled out due to a minor injury. The British referee will be replaced by Frenchman François Letexier.

World Cup 2026: The official and complete group stage schedule

“For this World Cup debut, the French referee will be accompanied by his compatriots Cyril Mugnier and Mehdi Rahmouni, while Saudi official Khalid Alturais will serve as the fourth official,” stated the French Football Federation in a press release.

François Letexier is thus set to make his World Cup debut. He previously refereed the Europa League final won by Aston Villa against Freiburg, as well as the Euro 2024 final where Spain triumphed 2-1 over England.

For Sunday’s other fixtures, Ismail Elfath will take charge of the Netherlands vs Japan match, while Moroccan referee Jalal Jayed will officiate Germany vs Curaçao.

Related teams and leagues

Ivory Coast

Ecuador

World Cup