FIFA has announced the officiating crew assigned to manage the Spain vs. France match, scheduled for Tuesday, as part of the 2026 World Cup semi-final, a match considered one of the tournament's highlights.

FIFA's Referees Committee selected Salvadoran referee Iván Barton to officiate the match, a decision that brings back to the spotlight the controversial record of the international referee, whose name has been linked to several notable officiating incidents in recent years, most notably his own admission of committing a 'serious mistake' in a Salvadoran league match.

Barton will be assisted by David Morán and Antonio Bibero as assistant referees, while Sweden's Glenn Nyberg will serve as the fourth official, and his compatriot Mahboub Beji as the reserve assistant referee.

Barton has officiated three matches in the current World Cup: Paraguay vs. Turkey, Japan vs. Sweden in the group stage, and then Colombia vs. Switzerland in the round of 16.

The Paraguay vs. Turkey match witnessed one of the tournament's most controversial moments, as he became the first referee to apply the new law regarding speaking to opponents while covering the mouth, media-dubbed the 'Vinicius Law', where he showed a red card to Miguel Almirón after a VAR review. The decision caused a wide split among analysts, with some seeing that he applied the law strictly, while others believed his management of the match was marked by excessive sanctions.

The match officials for @FIFAWorldCup match 101 have been appointed. 🤝

— FIFA (@FIFAcom) July 12, 2026

This was not the first controversy in the Salvadoran referee's career. He faced heavy criticism in the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League during the match between Mexico and Honduras, after he added 11 minutes of stoppage time, during which Mexico scored the equalizer in the 10th minute of added time, sparking anger from Honduran players and officials who considered the extra time excessive.

Barton also faced other criticism during the 2024 Copa America after officiating the USA vs. Panama match, where several analysts felt he lost control of the match, despite many agreeing on the correctness of the red card decision against American Timmy Weah.

In the 2026 World Cup, the Salvadoran referee's name returned to the spotlight again after the Colombia vs. Switzerland round of 16 match, as he received negative evaluations from several refereeing experts who criticized his leniency on some fouls and his omission of what they considered deserved yellow cards.

The most distinctive aspect of Barton's career remains his public admission last June of committing a 'serious mistake' during a Salvadoran league match, and on another occasion he revealed a communication breakdown among the officiating crew that caused widespread controversy over a disallowed goal in a local final — a rare instance of an international referee admitting refereeing errors so clearly.

The selection of Barton to officiate the Spain-France summit confirms the confidence of FIFA's Referees Committee in his abilities, despite the controversy surrounding several of his matches, turning all eyes to the Salvadoran referee in one of the most important World Cup encounters, as both sides seek to secure the first ticket to the final.

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