Referee Ivan Barton caused a comedic pause in the World Cup semi-final between France and Spain on Tuesday evening when he realized he had forgotten his vanishing spray. The incident occurred less than 10 minutes into the match at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas.
How the Mishap Unfolded
Barton, an El Salvadoran referee, awarded Spain a free-kick in a dangerous position after Mikel Oyarzabal protested that the French wall was encroaching. As Barton reached for his spray to mark the spot, he discovered it was missing. The fourth official had to rush onto the pitch with a can, causing a delay of over a minute. The set-piece ultimately came to nothing.
Key Moments in the Match
Twelve minutes later, Barton made a crucial penalty decision, ruling that Lucas Digne fouled Lamine Yamal following a delivery from Marc Cucurella. Oyarzabal converted the penalty to give Spain the lead. It was the first penalty Barton had awarded in his fourth game of the tournament.
Barton previously officiated Paraguay's victory over Turkey, Japan's draw with Sweden, and Switzerland's penalty shootout win over Colombia in the Round of 16. He became a FIFA-registered referee in 2018 and refereed three matches at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, including England's Round of 16 win over Senegal.
Impact on the Game
France were aiming to reach the final four years after their loss to Argentina, while Spain, the reigning European champions, sought to move within 90 minutes of winning the World Cup. The spray mishap briefly disrupted the flow but did not affect the eventual result.
