Ivory Coast vs Ecuador: Who will be the referee for the 2026 World Cup Group E match?

Ivory Coast and Ecuador meet in what promises to be a compelling Group E opener on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field, now rebranded as Philadelphia Stadium. Francois Letexier has been assigned as the referee for the 2026 World Cup clash.

At 37, Letexier arrives at his first World Cup with an impressive résumé of high-stakes assignments already to his name. Among the most significant are the 2025-26 UEFA Europa League final and the Euro 2024 final between Spain and England, two of the biggest occasions in European football in recent memory.

Having officiated across the UEFA World Cup qualifying campaign and Euro 2024, this will be the first time Letexier has refereed a match involving either the Ecuador or Ivory Coast national teams.

Throughout his career, Letexier has been recognized for his authority and composure in managing high-pressure games. According to Transfermarkt, across 400 matches, the French official has issued 1,505 yellow cards, 69 straight red cards and awarded 135 penalties.

One of his most scrutinized moments came during the 2025-26 Champions League, when Vinicius Junior accused Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni of racial abuse during a Real Madrid match. After activating the appropriate protocol and reviewing the situation, Letexier ultimately chose not to issue a red card to Prestianni on the night, a decision that generated significant controversy.

Letexier will be assisted by fellow French officials Cyril Mugnier as first assistant and Mehdi Rahmouni as second assistant, with Ukrainian Mykola Balakin serving as the fourth official. In the VAR booth, France’s Jerome Brisard will lead the video review team, supported by Willy Delajod of France as AVAR 1 and Tiago Martins of Portugal as AVAR 2.

A last-minute referee change

Michael Oliver, the experienced English Premier League referee, had originally been assigned to officiate the match alongside his usual assistants Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring. On Friday, however, FIFA confirmed that Oliver had been ruled out due to a minor injury, with Letexier stepping in as his replacement.

Oliver had previously officiated at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where his most high-profile assignment was the quarterfinal between Croatia and Brazil. While he will miss the Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador match, FIFA indicated that the English referee is expected to be available for selection again in the coming days.