Meet the Referee and Officials for France vs Spain World Cup Semifinal

One of the most anticipated matches in this World Cup is the semifinal between France and Spain, taking place at AT&T Stadium. The spotlight isn’t only on the players like Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal, but also on the refereeing team responsible for managing the game.

Match Officials Lineup

The refereeing crew includes officials from El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Sweden. The main referee, Ivan Barton from El Salvador, has attracted attention throughout the tournament due to his firm approach, particularly with red cards.

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)

Profile of Ivan Barton

At 35 years old, Ivan Barton stands out as one of CONCACAF's leading referees. His career took off in El Salvador's top soccer league, La Liga Mayor. Since earning FIFA accreditation in 2018, Barton has officiated major tournaments such as the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the U-17 World Cup that same year, and the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League final. He was also part of the refereeing team at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the ongoing 2026 World Cup.

Barton is no stranger to controversy. During the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League semifinals between Mexico and the United States, he handed out four red cards and ended the match early due to homophobic chants from the crowd. In the group stage of this World Cup, he sent off Paraguay's Miguel Almiron for covering his mouth while speaking to a Turkish player, following video review.

"Just when you thought the semifinals couldn't get any better, they have put the most entertaining referee from the World Cup on one of them!" — Sleeper Football on Twitter

His presence in the semifinal adds an unpredictable element to what is already a thrilling matchup. Fans and analysts alike expect his decisions to shape the flow of the game.