El Salvador's Iván Barton to referee France-Spain World Cup semifinal

Salvadoran referee Iván Barton has been selected by FIFA to officiate the high-stakes semifinal match between France and Spain, scheduled to take place at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

This upcoming match marks Barton's fourth assignment in the current World Cup tournament. Previously, he refereed group stage games involving Turkey vs. Paraguay and Japan vs. Sweden, as well as the round of 16 match between Switzerland and Colombia.

Barton's extensive experience at the World Cup includes officiating three matches in the 2022 Qatar tournament. His consistent presence in major international fixtures has established him as the Central American referee with the most World Cup games officiated in history, surpassing Guatemalan referee Carlos Batres, who previously held the record with five matches.

Notably, Barton made history in the tournament by issuing the first red card for a specific infraction: a Paraguayan player, Miguel Almirón, was sent off for covering his mouth while addressing an opponent. This action aligns with a new rule implemented in the World Cup, introduced in response to incidents involving players like Prestianni and Vinicius.