FIFA has appointed Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg to head the knockout stage match between Spain and Austria in the FIFA World Cup Round of 32, and he is one of the most experienced referees in Europe.
Nyberg has already been handed two games at the 2026 World Cup and is now handed one of the biggest tasks in the tournament as Spain start their knockout campaign against an Austrian team looking to make history.
The 37-year-old has consistently been one of the top officials in Europe over the last 10 years, and has been involved in many top-flight UEFA Champions League and international matches before securing his World Cup spot.
Who Is Glenn Nyberg? Main Referee in Spain vs. Austria
Born in Säter, Sweden, Glenn Nyberg became a FIFA-listed referee in 2016 after progressing through the Swedish football pyramid.
Since then, he has officiated some of the biggest matches in European football, including UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Euro 2024 fixtures.
(Photo By Seb Daly/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
After a three-year evaluation process, which included consistency, performance, and experience at both domestic and international levels, FIFA chose Nyberg as one of the officials for the expanded 2026 World Cup.
He joined the tournament with his Swedish assistant referees, Mahbod Beigi and Andreas Söderkvist.
Nyberg has already worked in Ghana vs. Panama and Curacao vs. Ivory Coast this year's World Cup before being given the responsibility of Spain's knockout match against Austria.
Full Referee Team for Spain vs. Austria
The full FIFA-appointed referee team for the July 2 knockout match between Spain and Austria:
- Referee: Glenn Nyberg (Sweden)
- Assistant Referee 2: Andrey Kobylyov (Russia)
- Assistant Referee 2: Andreas Söderkvist (SWE)
- Fourth Official: BEIDA Dahane (MTN)
- Reserve Assistant Referee: Elvis Noupue (Cameroon)
Nyberg and his colleagues will be under the microscope as Spain is one of the favourites to progress and will be playing a high-stakes knockout game.
Each of the big decisions may be crucial as Spain tries to hold on to their World Cup dreams against a spirited Austrian team seeking to make history.
