Both Panama and Croatia enter Matchday 2 under serious pressure after opening defeats at the 2026 World Cup.
Panama suffered a last-minute 1-0 loss to Ghana after conceding in the 95th minute, while Croatia were beaten 4-2 by England in a high-tempo group opener. With both sides already chasing survival, this game is effectively a must-win in the race for the knockout stage.
FIFA has appointed Gabonese referee Pierre Ghislain Atcho to take charge of the match, who oversaw the Norway vs. Iraq game a few days ago.
Main Referee Panama vs. Croatia: Pierre Ghislain Atcho
Pierre Ghislain Atcho is one of Africa’s fastest-rising referees and has been trusted with several major CAF and FIFA assignments in recent years.
- Nationality: Gabon
- FIFA-listed referee since: 2018
- Age: 33
Refereeing Style and Disciplinary Profile
Atcho is known for a flow-oriented but physically tolerant refereeing style, allowing matches to remain open and fast-paced.
- Prefers letting play continue over frequent whistle interruptions, uses early verbal warnings instead of immediate bookings and llows physical duels as long as they remain within control
- Yellow cards per match: ~3.67
- Red cards per match: ~0.06 (very low)
Career Achievements
- 2022 CHAN Final: Algeria vs Senegal
- 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup: Multiple high-profile group-stage matches
- 2026 CAF Confederation Cup Final: Zamalek SC vs USM Alger (second leg)
- 2026 FIFA World Cup: Selected among Africa’s elite referee
Career Controversies
- AFCON 2023 Incident: During Senegal vs Ivory Coast in the Round of 16, he was heavily criticized for not issuing a red card for a dangerous challenge involving Sadio Mané and missing key penalty appeals
The backlash led to his removal from the remainder of the tournament by the CAF referees committee.
- AFCON 2025 Criticism: He again came under scrutiny for his lenient interpretation of physical contact, with critics arguing that his approach sometimes allowed matches to become overly aggressive.
Full Officiating Crew for Panama vs. Croatia
FIFA has appointed the following officials for this Group L encounter:
- Referee: Pierre Ghislain Atcho
- Assistant Referee 1: Boris Ditsoga (Gabon)
- Assistant Referee 2: Amos Abeigne Ndong (Gabon)
- Fourth Official: Khalid Saleh Al Turais (Saudi Arabia)
- VAR: Joe Dickerson (United States)
