CORNERFLICK
Ivan Barton will take charge of the World Cup 2026 semi-final between France and Spain, with the CONCACAF referee under close scrutiny because of his strict style and high card count.
Barton has officiated 189 official matches and produced 950 yellow cards and 41 reds, averaging five bookings a game and almost one dismissal every five matches.
At this World Cup, he has already overseen Turkey v Paraguay, Japan v Sweden and Switzerland v Colombia. Across those three games, he has shown five yellow cards and one red.
His most talked-about decision of the tournament came in Turkey v Paraguay, when he used a new FIFA rule to send off a player for covering his mouth while speaking to an opponent during a VAR review. The call drew wide reaction in the sports media.
Reports also say Barton has averaged more than seven cards per match in some Salvadoran league seasons, underlining his reluctance to let fouls and dissent go unchecked.
France and Spain will need to manage their conduct carefully in a game that could turn on Barton’s whistle as much as the football.