Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton looked increasingly relieved when the fourth official finally handed him a bottle of vanishing spray – a minute after he should have had it. The 35-year-old had already turned to the touchline with a bemused expression, glancing over as Mikel Oyarzabal complained about France’s wall creeping forward during a dangerous free-kick for Spain. The delay stretched for over a minute while Barton retrieved the spray, and the free-kick itself ultimately came to nothing. But the moment was an early sign of a frenetic semi-final that would see Barton award a penalty and Spain advance to the World Cup final.
Twelve minutes later, Barton was forced into a major decision when Lucas Digne was adjudged to have brought down Lamine Yamal from Marc Cucurella’s cross. Oyarzabal stepped up and powered the penalty beyond Mike Maignan, wheeling away in celebration. It was the first penalty Barton had awarded in his fourth match of the tournament, having previously officiated Paraguay’s win over Turkey, Japan’s draw with Sweden and Switzerland’s penalty shootout victory over Colombia in the Round of 16.
“Pedro Porro's goal and Ivan Barton's vanishing spray blunder defined Spain's 2-0 win over France to reach the World Cup final.”
Barton, a FIFA-listed referee since 2018, had already made World Cup history earlier in the tournament by becoming the first official to send off a player for covering his mouth – Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron. In 2022, he officiated three matches, including England’s Round of 16 win over Senegal.
But the game’s decisive moment came when Pedro Porro doubled Spain’s lead, playing a one-two with Dani Olmo to beat the French defence. The goal sealed a 2-0 victory for the reigning European champions, booking their place in the World Cup final against either England or Argentina. For France, it was a painful exit four years after their defeat to Argentina in the final in Qatar.
Barton’s vanishing spray mishap will likely be remembered as a footnote to a match that saw Spain take another step towards completing the set – European and world titles – while the French wait another four years for redemption.
