Meet the Officials for France vs. Spain World Cup Semifinal
Tuesday's World Cup semifinal between France and Spain features more than just star players like Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal going head-to-head. The refereeing crew will also draw attention, known for their solid reputation but not without some controversy during this tournament.
The on-field officials come from El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Sweden, led by Ivan Barton, a well-known figure from CONCACAF who has made headlines for his strictness.
Who Will Officiate?
- Referee: Ivan Barton (El Salvador)
- Assistant Referees: David Moran (El Salvador), Antonio Pupiro (Nicaragua)
- Fourth Official: Glenn Nyberg (Sweden)
- Reserve Assistant Referee: Mahbod Beigi (Sweden)
- VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski (Poland)
- Assistant VARs: Dennis Higler (Netherlands), Guillermo Pacheco (Mexico)
About Ivan Barton
At 35, Barton stands out as one of the top referees in the CONCACAF region. He rose through the ranks officiating in El Salvador's premier league, La Liga Mayor, before earning his FIFA badge in 2018. Since then, he's taken charge at various international events, including the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the U-17 World Cup the same year, and the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League final.
Barton was on the field for the 2022 and 2026 World Cups. His reputation includes controversial moments, such as issuing four red cards in a 2023 CONCACAF Nations League semifinal between Mexico and the USA. He also ended that match early due to homophobic chants from the crowd. During the group stage of this World Cup, he sent off Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron after video showed him covering his mouth while talking to an opponent.
“Ivan Barton moves Spain vs. France from a must-watch semifinal to the most important televised event of the century.” — Jon Lewis (@jlewis5211)
Many expect Barton's presence to be a major talking point when the teams meet at AT&T Stadium.
