Benitez to referee Germany vs Ivory Coast in must-win World Cup Group E clash

Paraguay’s Juan Gabriel Benitez Mareco will referee Germany’s 2026 World Cup Group E fixture against Ivory Coast at Toronto Stadium, with both nations needing a victory to guarantee a place in the knockout rounds.

Benitez will be assisted by fellow Paraguayans Eduardo Cardozo and Milcíades Saldivar on the lines. The 43-year-old brings an extensive international officiating résumé to the assignment, having taken charge of two of Argentina’s World Cup qualifying matches in the build-up to the North American tournament — including the 1-1 draw against Colombia in which he sent off Enzo Fernandez with a red card.

His disciplinary record is worth noting ahead of a high-stakes fixture. Benitez averages nearly five yellow cards per game across his 11-year career and oversees a sending-off roughly once in every three matches. Critics have pointed to that card-heavy tendency as evidence that he can struggle to manage the tempo of intense games. Crucially, this will be his first appearance as a referee at a World Cup.

Germany arrive at the fixture in commanding form, having thrashed Curacao 7-1 in their Group E opener. Arsenal forward Kai Havertz scored twice in that win, lifting him into joint second place in the Golden Boot standings. Ivory Coast, by contrast, needed a 90th-minute Amad Diallo strike to edge past Ecuador 1-0, leaving their qualification prospects far less comfortable.

The two sides are separated by 23 places in the FIFA World Rankings, but the table is level on points heading into the evening, meaning top spot in Group E — and the favourable draw that comes with it — is still very much up for grabs.