At 35 years of age, El Salvador's Iván Barton has been entrusted with one of the biggest appointments in world football: FIFA World Cup semifinal between France and Spain.
Match #101
Semifinals
14 July 2026, 21:00 CET
AT&T Stadium, Arlington
FRANCE - SPAIN
Referee: Iván Barton SLV
Assistant Referee 1: David Moran SLV
Assistant Referee 2: Antonio Pupiro NCA
Fourth Official: Glenn Nyberg SWE
Reserve AR: Mahbod Beigi SWE
Video Assistant Referee: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 1 :Dennis Johan Higler NED
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 2 :Guillermo Pacheco MEX
Standby Video Assistant Referee: : Leodan Gonzalez URU
Standby Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Ivan Bebek CRO
All the best BARTON
ReplyDeleteGood luck to Ivan Barton!
ReplyDeleteOT question. Will referee be announced for final two or three days before(like at WC 2022)
ReplyDeleteLast time it was three days before
DeleteWhy did they put a camera on the fourth official too ?
ReplyDelete"To enhance the viewer experience" I don't actually know but that sounds something like what FIFA will say
DeleteDennis Higler lost his closest friend Rob; I’m not sure how right it is to put him on VAR
DeleteMatador the appt was made on Sunday, id like to think he was asked if hed rather remain or step away
DeleteNot including Diepernik in the moments silence.... shameful
ReplyDeleteSadly it shouldn’t be a surprise that FIFA don’t want to draw attention to their own disgraceful handling of the matter back in April. It should be one of the biggest disgraces in FIFA history (not an easy title to achieve), one of the darkest marks in the history of the organization, but unfortunately it seems like this story is not getting much attention.
DeleteCorrectly called free kick for Spain!
ReplyDeleteYellow is too harsh as he played the ball before
Deleteclear foul and yellow
ReplyDeleteCorrect YC on 9' for reckless challenge (stamp on foot)
ReplyDeleteCorrect YC
ReplyDeleteCorrect first YC and FK in dangerous position.
ReplyDeleteGood first FK by Barton. YC a little bit harsh perhaps…
ReplyDeleteWrong, stomp on top of foot. First foul, yellow card, Barton excellent start
DeleteIn the trend of this WC I would say. Not in general.
DeleteThen who cares Barton said F it and it calling things correctly!
DeleteBarton forgot his vanishing spray
ReplyDeleteAwww bless him he forgot his vanishing spray 😂 That’s nerves for you!
ReplyDeleteFunny delay
ReplyDeleteCorrect yellow
ReplyDeleteThat card was very harsh, given that Rabiot touched the ball first. I would have opted for a verbal warning.
ReplyDeleteSPA
DeleteStepping on the foot like this is a yellow card
DeleteBarton 😅 he is so cute ..
ReplyDeleteCorrect first YC and in what world a semi final ref forget his equipment, a bit disappointing
ReplyDeleteA ref who is nervous because he is refereeing a World Cup semifinal……
DeleteSupport able free kick and yellow card.... funny forgetting his spray
ReplyDeleteMissed YC
ReplyDeleteMissed yellow card
ReplyDeleteMissed YC for Olise clear reckless tackle
ReplyDeleteMissed YC on 15' clearly reckless.
ReplyDeleteMissed YC on Olise. But we always know why….
ReplyDeleteI think he just didn’t see this challenge properly. Had he seen it right, there is no question he would have sanctioned it with a YC.
Delete+1
DeleteNo. Suspension for final for Olise is the reason. Obviously..
DeleteNo he can’t be suspended as yc reset after quarter final
DeleteYellow card count resets before the semifinals, so players entering that stage start fresh regardless of previous accumulations.
DeleteYou can't even get your conspiracy theories right mate! Yellow cards have reset.
DeleteMissed YC at 15 for worse incident than Rabiot’s YC.
ReplyDeleteOrange card missed for sure.
ReplyDeletecorrect penalty.. bravo barton
ReplyDeleteGreat penalty decision
ReplyDeleteClear PK correctly given on field on 20'
ReplyDeleteI don’t know what to think, is the handball punishable enough to not whistle the penalty ?
ReplyDeleteCorrect penalty called for Spain!
ReplyDeleteClear PK good call
ReplyDeleteNo handball before ?
ReplyDeleteArm is in a clear natural position by his side when he jumps. Only punishable if he scores immediately after.
DeleteCorrect PK
ReplyDeleteThe handball is not punishable but in Italy they would hav called it...
ReplyDeleteCorrect penalty at all. But i never understand why we haven’t any clear additional replays. Again not a good thing for refereeing transparency.
DeleteCan you explain why its not punishable please ?
Deletehttps://streamin.me/v/4279ad6e
DeleteHere the clip, because arm is very close to body.
It looks like a punishable one because the attacker "enters" the challenge with the arm, but since it is not away from body, one can say nothing.
Thanks a lot mate
DeleteToo much whistle... my ears are exploding
ReplyDeleteMbappe, what respect??? Give him a yellow!
ReplyDeletePenalty kick on field decision imo i don't like these kinds of pk ( it goes as SOFT and brilliant attacker)
ReplyDeleteIt is a clear kick of the opponent, always a penalty. VAR would have surely intervened if missed.
DeleteYou're just being pick all over the place. Relax man
DeleteWhat are you talking about!? He clearly kicked the crap out of the guy, albeit unintentionally. Clear PK.
DeleteHowever it's true that the attacker puts himself in the condition to get penalty, you have the kick by defender, but once again I want to ask, what should defender do to avoid the penalty if he has already started his action?
DeleteNevertheless, this is too evident and it must be whistled, and VAR must intervene.
But the "best" penalties are the ones in which defender is late and he make an action on the attacker.
When it's the contrary, it can be always debatable for some arguments.
One should try to understand all points of view for a full refereeing knowledge, in my opinion.
Isn't it the same reasoning that we got for the Balogun red card. "A player is responsible for controlling his body".
DeleteVery good PK decision and no nonsense to get the French protesting to stop
ReplyDelete+1 Barton would suited Argentina,
DeleteA joy to watch
Missed foul for France on Mbape!
ReplyDeletefoul ???
DeleteNo foul. Correct challenge.
DeleteMy fault guys, they showed better angle! Correct challenge!
DeleteThe replay shows a possible glance on the upper arm, but mostly contact with the back.
ReplyDeleteCorrect YC on 31' for reckless
ReplyDeleteGood opportunity "used" to even the cards
DeleteA must to put Cucharella on notice and balance the cards.
Deleteİvan Barton is best referee in this era.A very correct penalty decision.
ReplyDeleteYC to Cucurella for his attitude, a "persistent foul" we could call it.
ReplyDeleteYou know now - just a confirmation - why Barton isn’t refereeing the other match…😂
ReplyDeleteGood YC to Spain
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, at this point one could already say that with the penalty, the yellow cards, the referee from El Salvador has already shown he is a referee, at this WC. That's a fact.
ReplyDelete+100
DeleteHe was also good at Qatar. He didn't make his name only at this world cup to be fair.
Delete+1
ReplyDeleteBtw, are they wearing a special shirt again? Are the stripes gold now? All these different shirts at this world cup drive me a bit crazy.
ReplyDeleteFantastic offside by AR 1 at 39:30
ReplyDeleteTwo good offside decisions, one by each AR
ReplyDeleteAnd another
DeleteWhat did just happen?
ReplyDeleteHe gave a free kick and removed it
DeleteUnclear how… not VAR stuff
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteChange of decision, but from VAR?
ReplyDeleteShould not be possible…
DeleteIf it was VAR that would be wrong. If it was AR2, perfectly fine albeit a tad unusual
DeleteAr2
Delete44’ ‘minute. He seems to award France a foul on the edge of the box (clearly incorrect) then a word in his ear and changes the decision. Any idea what’s happened, cus can’t be VAR?
ReplyDeleteVAR for a free kick? 44'
ReplyDeleteThat was weird
ReplyDeleteHow did he change his decision? Can't be VAR suggestion.
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time that I saw on high level that referee change his decision. By laws , its possible but tottaly unexpected at high level.
ReplyDeleteThis shows how humble and good a referee he is.
DeleteNo, but wait a minute? Am I dreaming, or did the VAR actually correct the referee? Is that something new in the protocol?
ReplyDeleteI think VAR overroule because of APP. The drop-ball should be the the goalkeeper and not the France, because when Barton blow his whistle - the ball was in penalty area
ReplyDeleteI’m always lost with the VAR protocol reinforced for the WC, does someone has a link so I can read about it ? IFAB rules are not up-to-date it seems
ReplyDeleteMaybe one of his AR's. I think AR2 had a good view
ReplyDeleteI'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say input from AR1 or the fourth official changed that decision
ReplyDeleteAt 50 or 100 meters away ????
DeleteI doubt that the AR1 or 4th are positioned better than Barton for that call.. but in the end, correct decision !
DeleteProbably AR2, he’s in good spot to see the fall before the contact
DeleteI meant AR2, typo by me
DeleteWhy didn't he show a card to Dembele?
ReplyDeleteNo second yellow for Rabiot? 45 + 1'
ReplyDeleteNot worthy of a yellow this WC
DeleteAgreed, dumb tackle, not a caution though
DeleteClearly unacceptable ! How on earth VAR çà correct it here ?
ReplyDeleteThe tip could only have come from the assistant
DeleteDon't let your French side cause you to lose your objectivity. The AR1 clearly helped him
DeleteIf he disallowed the foul, shouldn't the game have been restarted with a dropped ball?
ReplyDeleteWith the FK at least we got the right decision!
ReplyDeleteRabiot on a last warning I would suggest?
Wow, did VAR really take back a free kick? And before play was stopped for an injury and the player did not have to leave the field of play as always in this tournament even if the rules are clear… I‘m really sick that rules do not count at the highest level where the whole world watches. Good luck to all grassroot referees enforcing the laws.
ReplyDeleteHe must not leave if the Refs stop for a Head injury, which was here the case.
DeleteHowever, given what we saw at this WC about VAR and its intervention, it wouldn't be a scandal if it happened to change decision without officially announcing it. That's what I don't like.
ReplyDeleteThe tip could only have come from the assistant
DeleteVAR intervened to correct the referee's restart, as play could not resume with a French possession outside the penalty area, but rather with a dropped ball to the goalkeeper, given that the referee blew the whistle to stop play while the ball was still inside the penalty area
ReplyDeleteHalf time, Excellent performance from Barton. a very physical game , heated
DeleteBarton missed a RC according to media
So not excellent but good performance
VAR Overturned but since they can’t factually change! Referee pretend he made mistake and get helped by his crew as wrong call instead of punishing dembele simulation
ReplyDeleteAbout possible second YC to Rabiot, it follows the line at this WC.
ReplyDeleteThe only discussing point of first half is this change of decision.
But excellent approach overall by the referee from El Salvador, who showed already to have deserved this assignment.
If he has a solid second half, he will be on the short list for 2030 final.
Deleteokay good first half
ReplyDeleteSorry.. but hes losing the control and has no acceptance from the players. This could go badly
ReplyDeleteI think we can conclude that, so far, Barton has not performed at the level expected of a World Cup semi final.
ReplyDeleteHe incorrectly showed a yellow card to a French player after the ball had clearly been played first, with the subsequent contact being unavoidable. Shortly afterwards, he failed to issue a clear yellow card for a reckless tackle on the ankle.
The penalty decision was correct, but there were also several incorrectly awarded free kicks, one of which was changed to a dropped ball following VAR advice. In addition, he appeared to struggle with player acceptance and overall match control. He also missed a clear corner kick and there was unnecessary confusion over a throw in decision.
Overall, it has not been a performance that matches the standard expected at this stage of the tournament.
Dont say "we" when "we" does not think what you think.no incorrect FKS apart from the overturned one.
Delete1 missed YC, all given correct,
Hes been great so far, as per Chefren above
Why are we jumping to say VAR overturned the FK? Much more logical to assume AR2 had the best angle of view and advised Barton as such.
DeleteThis is exactly the level expected. Debate on the Rabiot yellow, sure, but you’re never gonna see 100% agreement on that so it’s fine.
DeleteAR2 helping on the FK is exactly how a team should operate.
Not much else to comment on since overall very good performance.
Thanks good that it is football focused game, and I think that for final there will not be risky nominations,but there should be safe pair of hands. After Faghani, I condsiderd Vincic, especially if Argentina goes throguh!
ReplyDeleteOne of the best referee performances this tournament in the first half, let's hope he can keep this up in the second
ReplyDelete100
DeleteI'm sorry, how is everyone saying the Olisé challenge was only a YC? Studs on the leg in a dangerous place, not even close to the ball, it clearly endangered the safety of his opponent. Why only YC?
ReplyDeleteNo force
DeleteOrange one for me because of no force challenge. But big miss by Barton at all.
DeleteHow much force is necessary in such a tackle to be a red? It such a sensitive area, studs straight into the leg, not even near the ball, with more force he would snap his leg. I don't think the game should allow this tackle to go without a red card just because he didn't have 20% more intensity to break his leg.
DeleteA good first half overall from Barton, with two well-judged yellow cards. He clearly missed a yellow card for Olise, a fairly obvious mistake. A free kick was overturned in far from optimal, even unclear circumstances (VAR?). But in the end, the referee is in control of his match and very dynamic in his personal approach. He is simply being himself, and that is particularly refreshing in this World Cup.
ReplyDeleteI really don’t understand the criticism. All key decisions correct and the VAR intervention was weird but overall very good first half from Ivan Barton!
ReplyDelete100
Delete100
DeleteI agree with you,he's a really good referee.
DeleteHow were all the key decisions correct? Olisé not getting AT LEAST a YC (and arguably a red) is a big stain on his performance, especially since it was much more of a YC than the first one he showed... It taints the other card/no card decisions.
DeleteAlso, he whistled too much in the final minutes, gave some very soft fouls.
Great on the penalty though, and I also 100% agree with no 2YC for Rabiot.
In an ideal scenario, the only time people should notice him is for the penalty decision otherwise, he should stay under the radar it was Straightforward first half
ReplyDeleteA very good first half from the Salvadoran officiating team. YCs were issued correctly, match management was solid, and he maintained authority and composure during PK decision, showing the humility to acknowledge an error regarding a FK call after consulting with the second assistant referee. Barton is truly the standout referee of this WC. He was a great choice for this heated match, and I hope the brilliant performance shown so far continues into the second half.
ReplyDeleteAssistant referee 2 at 100 m ? Come on, obvious VAR advice here.
Delete@Referee analyst AR2 would have been at halfway line or close to it, so 30-40m away and with a clear angle of view. Teamwork between the crew to arrive at the right decision on the pitch should be lauded.
DeleteCome on french friend! He had clear vision in max 20m. Correct decison is the most matter.
DeleteThat's a very accurate comment; he's a human being, not a computer.And he managed it in the best way possible
DeleteDisappointing performance from the ref in a game that is turning out to be much more difficult than anticipated (IMO).
ReplyDeleteThe 1st YC for Rabiot is debatable, since he got the ball first and made a normal attempt at the ball IMO. Then Olisé escapes without any card in a challenge that, in my opinion, is a RC challenge. Not even a yellow is a severe mistake.
Whistled too much in the final 10 minutes of the half, with that weird reverted FK (where did the revert came from?) and a dive from a Spanish player near the benches from the lightest of touches on the back by a French player. He should not reward that behaviour, the Spanish player threw himself on the ball as soon as he felt any contact.
Correct with no 2YC for Rabiot in my opinion. He didn't stamp on his opponent's foot, there was barely any contact.
The game has been quite difficult, but if we go over the decisions one by one the performance has not been great, but not a disaster.
Oh, and forgetting the foam for the free kicks in unacceptable, he and the rest of his team cannot allow that to happen.
Oh, and as much as I don't like to see a goal come from that kind of "foul" (the defender had started his motion to kick the ball, didn't even see the attacker come), the truth is this kind of contact is widely accepted as a foul, and the defender was dumb, so also a gerat live decision by the ref to call the PK.
DeleteIf very good is “disappointing” I imagine no ref is ever good
DeleteGuys ,who told you that Var correct Barton. By the laws of the game, if referee see that he is make mistake, he can change it until the new action does not start. After that,not possible!
ReplyDeleteSee at the replays. Not his own decision. Assistant referees are far away as fourth official…so…
Deleteparody of refereeing:
ReplyDelete8' YC given upon VAR advice
15' missed at least YC for reckless tackle - potential SFP - this time VAR doesn't intervene to not upset FRA
31' balancing YC because it's the most important
44' VAR overturns a wrongly awarded FK close to penalty area
I do think the YC at 31' is completely correct though. Cucurella twice tackles/hits the opponent without the ball being there. Unsportsmanlike behaviour, repeated, the ref made clear he will not allow it.
DeleteEveryone has acknowledged the missed TC at 15', but saying VAR has given the YC at 8' and overturned the foul at 44' is conjecture at best and intentional misinformation at worst.
Deletewith all due respect, then you know nothing about reality at Collina's world ;)
DeleteWhy do all says that VAR overruled the decision 44. Yrust the referees, it was of course one of his colleagues on the field!
DeleteDo someone have the clip of the tackle of Olise, I think it’s closer to a RC than i thought
ReplyDeleteMissed Red Card for Olise
ReplyDeleteInconsistent according to the media
Oh, the media. Then, by all means!
DeleteIt's never red, we should not exaggerate.
DeleteI would say it's not as flawless/ top notch as his other matches, personally. But still very good.
ReplyDeleteHe is a human,don't forget this.And I agree with you,He is still very good referee
DeleteGood advantage application.👏
ReplyDeleteone hundred percent
DeleteGreat advantage
ReplyDelete+1000
DeleteHe is a great referee.
DeleteAny other referee would have blown the whistle immediately here. Well done, Barton..
ReplyDeleteThe best advantage call of his life
DeleteOT: to see Gianni Infantino be roundly booed by the crowd was a joy to behold
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteUnfortunately it was the Dallas Cowboy's (owner?) I think on the big screen at the time. But I'm sure he'd get an even stronger reaction
DeleteOh my feed had Infantino on it and then audible boos which the commentator picked up on
DeleteYeah, unusually, in this tournament, the big screen feed the crowd sees is completely different from the global TV feed
DeleteHe didn't make the advantage gesture, not even when goal was scored, but I think he detected the foul.
ReplyDeleteHe was fully focused on the play and how it continued.
https://streamff.com/v/6639ea13
He saw the foul. He's bringing the whistle to his mouth... Great advantage play
DeleteI think that after what hapoened in this game, experiments with some names like Valenzuela in final,or praising Barton are over tonight!
ReplyDeleteSo you were very quick to defend Letexier, now France are 2-0 down and you think this is a bad performance…. hmm
DeleteExcellent offside decision to deny Yamal goal to 3-0.
ReplyDeleteMissed Yc for Jamal!
ReplyDeleteIt's orange card. Crime by the referee not to give the yellow
DeleteHe touched the ball. A genuine attempt to win the ball. Not a yellow!
DeleteWe've probably had so many offside calls due to the nature of the game. And good ARs.
ReplyDeleteMissed YC to Yamal.
ReplyDeleteNot sure it wasnt reckless for me and the ball was gone for mbappe
Deletenever a yellow
DeleteClear YC
DeleteClear yellow card. Open your eyes and you might see it
ReplyDeleteDont be so rude, ive had to tell you that on here before
DeleteGuys this is ridiculous. Whoever says this is good performance because of one whistled easy penalty know nothing about refereeing. Movement - very bad, not good variety of running techniques. Disciplinary control - catastrophe. Cant express what kind of yellow cards are missed and some borderline are not given. 43.30 - still dont understand. And first yellow card in the game was given after help from a friend. I didn’t see no intension to give yc at first.
ReplyDeletehttps://streambug.org/cv/da0f95
ReplyDeletePossible RC for Oliseh, missed mandatory YC by referee.
The only criterion that can save the player from RC is intensity, indeed you can see is just a touch. All the rest is a typical red card offence.
Kwiatkowski forgave it.
Let's remember the Polish VAR was criticized for the famous intervention in Pinheiro game in Champions League...
Threshold for fouls changed completely in the second half. But I think it lead to a better foul detection. Threshold for YC also changed a bit, clear YC not shown to Lamine Yamal. Star players cannot see cards in this WC apparently.
ReplyDelete