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Who Will Officiate the Curacao vs Ivory Coast World Cup Match?
Rohan Mehta | June 26, 2026 4:09 AM CST

Curacao will take on Ivory Coast in a crucial encounter as they aim to complete a dream run by qualifying for the World Cup knockout stage.


Both Curacao and Ivory Coast are determined to create history when they meet in their Group E finale in Philadelphia.


The World Cup debutants secured their first-ever point in the competition with a 0-0 draw against Ecuador in their previous outing. A victory over the Elephants could see Curacao become the lowest-ranked nation to advance to the knockout rounds.


Ivory Coast, on the other hand, are striving to reach the knockout phase for the first time. Here’s a look at the match officials for the 9 p.m. (BST) showdown.


Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg has been appointed to oversee the Curacao vs Ivory Coast clash, supported by fellow Swedes Mahbod Beigi and Andreas Soderkvist as assistant referees.


This will be the 37-year-old’s second assignment at this World Cup, having previously officiated Ghana’s 1-0 victory over Panama in Group L, during which he issued three yellow cards.


Nyberg began his refereeing career in Sweden’s top division, the Allsvenskan, in 2013, and has steadily progressed to handle major matches across Europe.


During the group stage of last season’s UEFA Champions League, he took charge of Newcastle United’s 2-1 home defeat to Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-0 triumph over Borussia Dortmund.


He also officiated Aston Villa’s emphatic 4-0 victory against Nottingham Forest in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final at Villa Park. In that match, he awarded a penalty after a VAR review for a foul by Nikola Milenkovic on Pau Torres.


The Swedish official is known for maintaining control without excessive card use, having given out only 59 yellow cards and one red card across 19 matches since the start of the 2025/26 season, as per Transfermarkt statistics.


However, he did make headlines when he sent off Portugal’s star forward Cristiano Ronaldo for elbowing Republic of Ireland defender Dara O’Shea during a World Cup qualifier in Dublin last November.


Switzerland’s Sandro Scharer will serve as the fourth official in Philadelphia, while compatriot Stephane De Almeida has been named as the reserve assistant referee.


The VAR team for this Group E fixture has not yet been announced.


Curacao must win to keep their qualification hopes alive, whereas Ivory Coast could still qualify for the knockout stage as one of the best third-placed teams, even if they lose.


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