Both Curaçao and Côte d'Ivoire will go into their final Group E game on June 25 with hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup Round of 32 still alive.
To handle the occasion, FIFA has selected Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg as the man in the middle.
Nyberg is already familiar with the tournament, having officiated two group-stage matches earlier in the competition (Ghana vs Panama and Sweden vs. Tunisia).
Main Referee for Curaçao vs. Côte d'Ivoire: Glenn Nyberg
- Nationality: Sweden
- FIFA-listed referee since: 2016
- Age: 37
Nyberg is known for his calm and communicative approach on the pitch.
- Prefers keeping matches flowing rather than stopping play unnecessarily.
- Allows physical contests to develop as long as they remain under control.
- Yellow cards average: Approximately 3.21 per match
- Red cards average: Approximately 0.05 per match
Career Achievements
- 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup Final: Uruguay vs. Italy
- UEFA Euro 2024: Officiated group-stage and knockout-round matches, including Albania vs. Spain and France vs. Belgium
- 2024 Olympic Games: Selected for multiple men's football matches
- UEFA Champions League: Regular referee for knockout-stage games
- UEFA Europa League: Frequent appointments
- FIFA Club World Cup: among FIFA's elite international officials
- 2026 FIFA World Cup
Career Controversies
- Arsenal vs. Bayern Munich (2024): Criticized after declining to award Bayern a penalty following a handball incident involving Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães.
- Argentina vs. Morocco (Olympics 2024): Oversaw the chaotic match that included a lengthy suspension and a VAR review that overturned a late Argentine equalizer.
- Swedish Division 6 Incident (2025): Faced criticism after intervening during a lower-division match as a spectator and later issued a public apology.
Full Officiating Crew for Curaçao vs. Côte d'Ivoire
FIFA has appointed the following officials for the Group E encounter:
- Reserve Assistant Referee: Stéphane De Almeida (Switzerland)
- Referee: Glenn Nyberg (Sweden)
- Assistant Referee 1: Mahbod Beigi (Sweden)
- Assistant Referee 2: Andreas Söderkvist (Sweden)
- Fourth Official: Sandro Schärer (Switzerland)
