The referee for tonight’s Norway vs France match is Michael Oliver, an official from England.
For both Norway and France, that’s all that’s up for grabs. Both have already secured their places in the round of 32 and the matter of qualification has been replaced by the chase for the top.
There’s also the small matter of two of the world’s best scorers getting a taste for the Golden Boot, but that’s none of the referee’s concern in Boston.
Referee appointment for Norway vs France
It’s a familiar face in the middle not only for fans in the UK but for Norway’s Erling Haaland, one of those prolific goalscorers, and a host of other players with Premier League experience.
English official Michael Oliver has been FIFA-listed since 2012 and was designated a UEFA Elite referee in 2018.
The 41-year-old made a belated start to this World Cup in the Netherlands’ 5-1 win against Sweden in Group F. He booked three players, all of them Swedish representatives of England’s top flight.
Oliver has refereed two FA Cup finals and a UEFA Super Cup, and is at his fourth major international tournament since a European Championship debut in 2021.
He took charge of three matches at World Cup 2022 including the quarter-final between Brazil and Croatia.
In 29 matches in the 2025-26 Premier League season, Oliver sent off two players: Lesley Ugochukwu of Burnley for two bookable offences and Cristian Romero for serious foul play in Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-0 defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
He dished out 89 yellow cards at a rate of a shade over three per match.
Oliver’s assistants in Boston are Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring, both from England. The fourth official is Ma Ning from China.