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History-Making Ref to Officiate France-Spain World Cup Clash
14 Jul
Summary
- Referee Ivan Barton made World Cup history with a unique red card.
- Barton previously officiated matches involving Germany, Brazil, and England.
- This is Barton's second senior World Cup appearance, officiating previously in Qatar.
Ivan Barton, a referee from El Salvador, is set to officiate the World Cup semi-final between France and Spain. Barton gained notoriety earlier in the tournament for issuing the first-ever red card for a player covering their mouth during a confrontation, a historic decision that went viral. He previously refereed matches at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, including Germany's loss to Japan, Brazil's win over Switzerland, and England's victory against Senegal.
Barton, who is also a professor of organic chemistry, has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2018. He has a history of managing high-stakes matches, including Concacaf competitions and the Olympic Games. His officiating team for the semi-final includes assistant referees David Moran and Antonio Pupiro, with Glenn Nyberg as the fourth official. Tomasz Kwiatkowski will lead the VAR team, supported by Dennis Higler and Guillermo Pacheco. Kwiatkowski notably managed the VAR for the 2022 World Cup final.
