English referee Michael Oliver found himself in an embarrassing position after a strange mistake he made during the Spain-Belgium match in the 2026 World Cup.

Oliver officiated the Spain vs. Belgium match on Friday at Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles, the second quarterfinal of the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.

In the 35th minute of the match, Michael Oliver made a fatal error when Spain's Dani Olmo tried to carry the ball from the edge of the penalty area.

As the Barcelona star attempted to chase the ball, he found himself face to face with the English referee, who appeared to have turned into one of the Belgian players blocking Dani Olmo's path.

Michael Oliver was forced to stop play immediately, amid protests from the Spanish players, forcing the English referee to apologize to them before resuming play with a dropped ball.

It is worth noting that this is the fourth match Michael Oliver has officiated in the 2026 World Cup, after two group stage matches and another in the round of 16.