2 min readUpdated: Jul 10, 2026 07:36 PM IST
For a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal against mighty France, Spain and Belgium will lock horns in the second quarterfinal at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday.
La Roja scraped past Portugal in a tightly contested battle after Mikel Merino scored an injury-time winner off the bench. Belgium, meanwhile, were clinical in their 4-1 thrashing of co-hosts USA.
British referee Michael Oliver will officiate the game, which kicks off at 12:30 AM IST.
Who is Michael Oliver?
This is Oliver’s second World Cup and his fourth assignment at this tournament. He has already overseen Netherlands-Sweden, Norway-France, and Canada-Morocco. The 41-year-old brings vast experience to the big stage, having officiated over 425 Premier League and 47 Champions League matches at the club level. He is regarded as one of the most trusted officials for both UEFA and FIFA.
Spain vs Belgium will be his seventh World Cup game; his previous six include the Croatia-Brazil quarterfinal in Qatar and three matches at this tournament. His most recent assignment was Morocco’s 3-0 win over Canada in the Round of 16.
Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring, both English, will run the lines, while Brazil’s Ramon Abatti serves as the fourth official. Oliver has never officiated Spain or Belgium at a major tournament, so both teams will discover his style together.
FIFA only bars referees from officiating matches involving their own country, which is why an English official can take charge of a quarterfinal while England remain in the tournament. The winner of this game would not face England until the final.
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The winner of the clash will face 2018 champion and 2022 finalist France, who are coming off a dominant 2-0 win over Morocco in their quarterfinal match courtesy of goals from Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele.
Referees for Spain vs Belgium FIFA World Cup Quarterfinal game
- 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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