France Coach Questions Referee’s Performance After Semi-Final Loss

ARLINGTON, Texas — After a 2-0 defeat to Spain in the World Cup semi-final, France’s coach Didier Deschamps posed a pointed question to reporters. He remarked, “I don’t want to say we lost, but do you think the referee was up to his task of officiating the semi-final?” His reference was to Spanish referee Ivan Barton from El Salvador, chosen to officiate such a significant match—a decision that raised eyebrows among those familiar with him in CONCACAF.

Barton awarded a penalty to Spain in the 22nd minute when French full-back Lucas Digne kicked Lamine Yamal as he attempted to play the ball. Deschamps, however, declined multiple chances to address this decision, which seemed to be the main issue for him.

While the penalty didn’t result in a goal, the foul was undeniable. It might seem harsh that this particular rule penalized Spain, yet the interpretation of the rule appeared to be correct. Maxence Lacroix expressed, “Lucas is a professional. Things like this happen in football; I think it should have been reconsidered.”

Lacroix, along with Rayan Cherki, was among the very few French players willing to speak to the media post-match, while others likely faced fines for skipping the mandatory mixed zone. Notably, as the first half neared its conclusion, Ousmane Dembele went down just outside the penalty area, leading to a confusing moment where Barton appeared to overturn a foul that had been called.

Deschamps later insisted that blaming the referee for France’s loss was misplaced. His team struggled to get a handle on the game, and, honestly, a 2-0 result felt somewhat generous for them. When pressed on his earlier comments about the referee, he simply noted, “Well, look at the game,” and added, “I don’t fall into that argument.”

In earlier matches, Barton had already sparked controversy. He infamously sent off Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron for covering his mouth during La Albirroja’s match against Turkey. That decision quickly proliferated on social media. During the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League semifinal, anti-gay chants from Mexican fans led to Barton issuing four red cards and ending the match early.