World Cup fans have made their feelings known after FIFA approved the appointment of Ivan Barton as referee for the crucial semi-final clash. It was announced that the 35-year-old official will be in charge of the France-Spain semifinal in Dallas on Tuesday night.
In the other semi-final, England will face Argentina in Atlanta on Wednesday night, with both games qualifying for Sunday’s final in New Jersey. France defeated Morocco 2-0 to advance to the semi-finals, while Spain defeated Belgium 2-1 to advance to the final four. Barton has managed three World Cup matches so far this summer, two of which were in the group stage.
Burton also served as referee in the last 16 match between Switzerland and Colombia in Vancouver, which ended in a goalless draw and went to penalties.
However, in the group stage match between Tolkier and Paraguay, Barton’s performance attracted the attention it deserved.
Barton received two yellow cards and one red card during the match at Levi’s Stadium. The red was given to Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron, with the former Newcastle star given his marching orders for covering his mouth while speaking to an opponent.
ITV broadcast the match and Barton’s performance became a hot topic. Former Premier League striker Jobi McAnuff joked: “I think he was about to win the man of the match award.”
Meanwhile, former Chelsea and Manchester United star Juan Mata said: “You can see how he loves being in that position. If he had a GPS, he would be running everywhere and reaching high speeds.”
Fans on social media have been reacting to the news that Barton will be refereeing the match between Spain and France, with supporters divided in opinion.
One fan wrote: “The World Cup semi-final between Spain and France with Ivan Barton refereeing is going to be pure cinema,” while another fan added: “Great content with Salvadoran Ivan Barton refereeing the semi-final between France and Spain. Great news.”
Another fan said: “Hats off to FIFA, it’s going to be magical,” while another wrote: “I’m 100% serious about how Yvan Barton’s arrival transformed Spain vs. France from a must-see World Cup semi-final to the most important televised event of the century.”
However, the decision to name Barton in the semi-finals was not well received by all supporters. One fan wrote: “How on earth did Ivan Barton get to the World Cup semi-finals?”, while another added: “I’m sure someone will get sent off in this game.”
