FIFA have announced that English referee Michael Oliver has been ruled out of his first match at the 2026 World Cup due to an injury.
Oliver was set to officiate the game between Ivory Coast and Ecuador in Group E on June 14 at 7 p.m. ET (12 a.m. BST) in Philadelphia, but will be replaced by French referee Francois Letexier.
FIFA said on Friday that Oliver will miss his first World Cup match but is expected to be available for selection again in the coming days because the injury is minor.
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Oliver is one of six English on-field officials at this summer's World Cup alongside fellow referee Anthony Taylor. Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn, Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring are among the assistant referees. There are a total of 52 referees, 88 assistant referees and 30 video match officials at the World Cup.
Oliver, 41, has officiated in the Premier League since 2010 and also refereed at the last World Cup, notably the quarterfinal between Croatia and Brazil.