Salvadoran Referee, Known for Historic VAR Intervention, to Officiate France vs. Spain Semi-Final

Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton is set to officiate the highly anticipated 2026 World Cup semi-final clash between France and Spain. Barton gained notoriety earlier in the tournament for sending off Paraguay's Miguel Almirón for covering his mouth during a match against Turkey.

The 35-year-old Salvadoran boasts extensive experience at the highest level, having overseen nearly 280 matches, including several CONCACAF Champions Cup finals – the regional equivalent of the Champions League. Tuesday's match will mark his seventh appearance at a World Cup.

During the current tournament, Barton became the first referee to enforce one of FIFA's newly introduced rules. In the Turkey-Paraguay match (0-1), he red-carded Miguel Almirón for covering his mouth while speaking with Turkish player Mert Müldür. This measure was implemented following the controversial exchange between Vinicius Jr. and Gianluca Prestiani in the Champions League.

This will be the first time the Salvadoran official referees a match involving the French senior national team. However, he previously officiated France's U17 team during the 2019 U17 World Cup, specifically in their semi-final against Brazil (2-3). Two years later, he also sent off Randal Kolo Muani during France's heavy 0-4 defeat to Japan at the Olympic Games. This will also be his inaugural match involving the Spanish national team.

Barton's other assignments at the 2026 World Cup include the 1-1 group stage draw between Japan and Sweden, as well as Switzerland's penalty shootout victory over Colombia in the Round of 16.