Who is Michael Oliver, the referee for Spain vs Belgium in the 2026 World Cup quarterfinal matchup?

Michael Oliver will referee today’s 2026 World Cup quarterfinal in Los Angeles, as Spain and Belgium go head to head for the right to face France in the last four.

Chasing their second global crown, the Spaniards are back in the quarterfinals of a men’s World Cup for the first time since lifting the title in 2010. La Roja defeated Portugal 1-0 in the round of 16, thanks to a stoppage-time winner by Mikel Merino. The Belgians, meanwhile, thumped the U.S. 4-1 to reach the last eight for the third time in the last four editions of the FIFA tournament.

What to know about Michael Oliver

Spain vs Belgium will be Oliver’s fourth appearance at this summer’s World Cup. In the group stage, the Englishman had been due to open up his campaign by overseeing the matchday-one clash between Ecuador and Ivory Coast, only to pull out after suffering a minor injury. However, he returned to fitness to helm two later group games - the Netherlands vs Sweden and Norway vs France - before refereeing Morocco’s round-of-16 win over Canada.

A FIFA international official since 2012, Oliver is refereeing at his second men’s World Cup. The 41-year-old was also on the roster in 2022, running the rule over three games in Qatar. Most notably, he was appointed to Croatia’s quarterfinal tie with Brazil - a matchup that saw the Vatreni eliminate the five-time world champions on penalties.

Yet to show a World Cup red card, Oliver averaged six yellows per match at the 2022 finals. In 2026, his yellow-card average dropped to 2.5 across his first two games - but then shot up in the round of 16. In all, he issued eight cautions during Morocco’s 3-0 win over co-hosts Canada, including six in the first half. Per Opta, it was the first time on record that the first half of a World Cup game had witnessed more yellow cards than shots.

At a glance - Oliver’s World Cup record

2022

• Group stage: Japan 0-1 Costa Rica (6 yellow cards, 0 red cards)
• Group stage: Saudi Arabia 1-2 Mexico (7 yellow cards, 0 red cards)
• Quarterfinals: Croatia 1-1 Brazil* (5 yellow cards, 0 red cards)

*Croatia won 5-3 on penalties

2026

• Group stage: Netherlands 5-1 Sweden (3 yellow cards, 0 red cards)
• Group stage: Norway 1-4 France (2 yellow cards, 0 red cards)
• Round of 16: Canada 0-3 Morocco (8 yellow cards, 0 red cards)

“Very, very unlucky”

In international soccer, Oliver has also refereed at two European Championships, in 2021 and 2024, overseeing a total of seven games. They included two knockout ties, both last-eight encounters settled by spot-kicks: Spain’s win over Switzerland in 2021, and France’s victory over Portugal in 2024.

The Spaniards’ triumph over the Swiss witnessed Oliver’s only red card so far at a major international tournament. Late in the second half, the referee opted to dismiss Switzerland’s Remo Freuler for his challenge on Spain’s Gerard Moreno - a decision that caused some debate. Commentating on U.K. television, former Arsenal defender Lee Dixon described Freuler as “very, very unlucky”.

Controversial penalty prompts Buffon “bin” tirade

A referee who debuted in the Premier League back in 2010, Oliver has also been at the center of contentious calls in club soccer. Notably, he drew the ire of goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon in 2018, after awarding Real Madrid a tie-winning penalty against Buffon’s Juventus in a closely-contested Champions League clash.

In the 93rd minute of the teams’ quarterfinal second leg, Oliver made the hotly-disputed decision to penalize Juve’s Mehdi Benatia for his tackle on Madrid’s Lucas Vázquez. Cristiano Ronaldo then scored the spot-kick - but not before Oliver had also sent off Buffon for the Bianconeri custodian’s vehement protests over the penalty call.

In a postgame interview at the Bernabéu, Buffon tore into Oliver, saying the referee had a “rubbish bin” for a heart. The official had “destroy[ed] the work of a team who gave absolutely everything”, the Italian raged.

In all, Oliver has made 47 Champions League appearances since making his debut in Europe’s elite club competition in 2016. Eleven of them have come in the knockout rounds, but - as in the World Cup and the European Championship - none have been later than the quarterfinal stage.

Match officials for Spain vs Belgium:

• Referee: Michael Oliver, England
• Assistant referee 1: Stuart Burt, England
• Assistant referee 2: James Mainwaring, England
• Fourth official: Ramon Abatti, Brazil
• Reserve assistant referee: Rafael Alves, Brazil

Spain vs Belgium: kickoff times, how to watch in the U.S.

Spain and Belgium meet in the World Cup quarterfinals today, Friday, July 10, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET/12 noon PT.

Viewers in the U.S. can watch the game on Fox Network, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, Fox One and fubo. You also have the option of following live-text coverage of the game right here at AS USA.

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