​Michael Oliver will be the referee for Spain versus Belgium on Friday at SoFi Stadium. The English official began his top-flight career as the Premier League’s youngest referee at age 25, and now, at 41, he has accumulated more than 425 matches in the English league and 47 in the Champions League. This Friday marks his seventh World Cup match, adding to a résumé that includes the Croatia-Brazil quarterfinal in Qatar and three matches at this tournament. His most recent assignment was Morocco’s 3-0 victory over Canada in the round of 16.
Oliver’s World Cup track record shows an average of 5.17 yellow cards per match, higher than his overall career rate of 3.28 per game. In the Morocco-Canada clash alone, eight bookings were issued under his watch. He has never shown a red card at a World Cup and has awarded a single penalty in the tournament’s history.
As for the line-of-sight officials, Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring, both English, will run the sidelines as assistants. Brazil’s Ramon Abatti will serve as the fourth official. It’s notable that Oliver has not previously overseen a Spain or Belgium match at a major tournament, so both teams will experience his officiating style for the first time during this match.
Referee: Michael Oliver (England)
Assistant Referee 1: Stuart Burt (England)
Assistant Referee 2: James Mainwaring (England)
Fourth Official: Ramon Abatti (Brazil)
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