ÖFB Round of 16 against Spain: Referee Glenn Nyberg from Sweden to officiate the match

Nyberg's previous assignments at this World Cup

The Scandinavian referee's record in matches involving Austria is, however, not encouraging from the ÖFB's perspective. According to ORF's public-service sports portal, Austria has not won either of the two previous internationals officiated by the 37-year-old Swede.

In September 2020, there was a 2:3 defeat against Romania in Klagenfurt. At the time, the Austrian side lost narrowly under Nyberg's officiating. The match counts among the Swede's early international assignments and was part of the preparation for various European Championship and World Cup qualifying phases.

Two internationals, zero wins: The ÖFB record

In November 2024, the Austrians under then team boss Ralf Rangnick also missed out on promotion in the Nations League, drawing 1:1 against Slovenia in Vienna. That match was also officiated by Nyberg and is one of the two fixtures that feed into the current record.

In addition to internationals, Nyberg has also had negative experiences at club level with Austrian clubs. In the Champions League, he refereed Red Bull Salzburg's match at Real Madrid in January 2025, which ended in a 1:5 thrashing and, from Salzburg's perspective, ranks among the darker European away nights of recent memory.

Salzburg's 1:5 in Madrid and LASK's 1:1

That Salzburg were chanceless that evening against the individually superior Madrilenians is only part of the context. From a purely refereeing perspective, the match proceeded without any grave incidents that would have decisively influenced the result; nevertheless, the scoreline lingers as a reference point in the collective memory of the Austrian football public.

The second negative club entry in Nyberg's record concerns LASK from Linz. In the first leg of the 2021 Conference League qualifying round, the Upper Austrians drew 1:1 with Scottish representatives St. Johnstone. Here too, Nyberg was the lead referee, although the officiating cannot be held primarily responsible for the result.

Despite this accumulated record, referee appointments are generally made by FIFA, without influence from the affected associations. Nyberg's nomination follows the usual criteria of performance record, availability, and geographic distribution of European referees.

The fact that the Swede is nevertheless associated with mixed memories from an Austrian perspective cannot be brushed aside. Fans and observers will be paying particular attention on Thursday to set-piece situations, card distribution, and penalty decisions should tricky scenes arise.

The FIFA logic behind the appointment

On the Austrian side, the team faces a Spanish opponent considered one of the co-favorites as the tournament progresses. Should the ÖFB team advance, a tough draw would await in the quarterfinals, depending on the constellation. Nyberg's task will be to accompany the on-field action as neutrally as possible.

The appointment is also, not least, an indication of the esteem Nyberg enjoys at FIFA. Anyone who referees both a Round of 16 match and two group-stage fixtures beforehand at a World Cup belongs to the narrower core of European referees that the world governing body envisages for the knockout phase.

For the Austrian team, everything is at stake on Thursday evening in sporting terms. After the previous encounters with Spanish teams at major tournaments – the last official meeting at a World Cup or European Championship dates back several years – a win would be a historic step.

Following the grueling group-stage program, the Austrian side travels to the duel with the usual knocks and a broad squad base. Should the match go beyond regular time, Nyberg's experience in handling extra time and penalty shootouts would also be a factor.

Outlook for Thursday evening in Los Angeles

Overall, the referee appointment is a peripheral aspect compared with the tactical and personnel questions that the team boss and coaching staff have to answer around the match. At the same time, the statistics from an Austrian perspective have done their part in ensuring that Nyberg's nomination provides talking points.

The fixture will kick off on Thursday at 21:00 CEST in Los Angeles. The match will be broadcast live on ServusTV; further coverage is available on ORF's sports portal at sport.ORF.at/fussball.

Should the match be reassessed at this point following the ongoing coverage, the following applies: A referee does not decide games, but he can accompany them with a clear line and overview. That is what Nyberg will need to pay particular attention to on Thursday evening.

From an Austrian perspective, one can only hope that, despite the statistical omens, the team delivers its best performance. An unfavorable record under Nyberg does not mean it cannot be broken – the final word lies on the pitch.