Zurich, Switzerland – FIFA has announced the refereeing teams assigned to officiate the second round of matches in Group F of the 2026 World Cup, which includes the national teams of Sweden, Japan, the Netherlands, and Tunisia. This comes ahead of highly anticipated matches that could have a direct impact on the race to qualify for the next round.
Oliver leads the Netherlands-Sweden summit
Group F is witnessing fierce competition after the first round, with Sweden leading the standings with three points, while Japan and the Netherlands each have one point. Tunisia, on the other hand, sits at the bottom of the group with no points.
FIFA’s Referees Committee has assigned English referee Michael Oliver to officiate the Netherlands vs. Sweden match, assisted by his compatriots Stuart Port and James Mainwaring.
South African Aponjeel Tom will serve as the fourth official, assisted by Zakhele Siwela as the reserve assistant referee.
The match is scheduled for next Saturday at 8:00 PM. Sweden will be looking to consolidate their lead, while the Netherlands will be seeking their first victory in the tournament.
Romanian crew for the match against Tunisia and Japan
In the second match of the group, FIFA has appointed Romanian referee Istvan Kovacs to officiate the Tunisia-Japan game, assisted by his compatriots Mihai Marica and Ferenc Tunyogi.
Costa Rican Juan Calderón will serve as the fourth official, with his compatriot Juan Carlos Mora as the reserve assistant referee.
The match will take place on Sunday morning at 7:00 AM. The Tunisian national team is looking to bounce back from their opening-round defeat and revive their hopes of qualifying.
The matches of the second round are of paramount importance for the teams in Group F, as their results could significantly shape the competition for the two qualifying spots for the next round.
This is especially true given the closely matched levels and ambitions of the four teams in the group.
