Rodri, captain of the Spanish national team, criticized the refereeing performance despite the 2-0 victory over France on Tuesday evening in the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup.

The Spanish national team qualified for the World Cup final scheduled for next Sunday, awaiting the winner of the England vs. Argentina match on Wednesday evening.

The Manchester City player expressed his dissatisfaction with Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton's leniency regarding the many fouls committed during the semifinal match, while at the same time praising his overall performance.

Rodri told Spanish television after the match: "We have been facing this type of situation for three matches. We are talking about 10 or 15 fouls that were not called. If you don't call them, defenses keep committing the same fouls."

He added, as reported by Foot Mercato: "The leniency is clear, especially today. But he had a great match."

Rodri had an excellent match against France, dominating the midfield and appearing in control of the match's rhythm throughout the 90 minutes.