World Cup: Chemistry Professor to Referee France vs. Spain

Barton was born on January 27, 1991, in Santa Ana, the second-largest city in El Salvador. He works as a lecturer and chemistry professor at a local university and obtained his FIFA badge in 2018.

This match will be Barton’s fourth at the World Cup, further cementing his record as the Central American referee who has officiated the most matches in the tournament’s history. In this edition, he has refereed Turkey vs. Paraguay and Japan vs. Sweden in the group stage, as well as Switzerland vs. Colombia in the round of 16.

In the previous World Cup (Qatar 2022), Barton refereed three matches, bringing his total to seven, surpassing Guatemalan referee Carlos Patricio, who had officiated five matches.

Barton is known for his firmness in crucial moments of matches. Throughout his professional career, he has refereed more than 300 official matches. His statistics reflect a strict approach, having issued over 1,400 yellow cards and 86 direct red cards, according to the Spanish newspaper Marca.

Barton became the first referee in history to send off a player for covering his mouth while addressing an opponent. The player was Paraguayan Miguel Almiron, during the Turkey vs. Paraguay match.