India, July 15 -- France and Spain were two of the favorites to lift the World Cup at the end of the tournament, but only one will get the chance to play the final on July 19th. The two European giants will meet today in the first of two semifinals to decide the finalists and the match will be refereed by Ivan Barton.

Barton is from El Salvador and has been a FIFA-sanctioned referee since 2018. He has spent most of his time refereeing CONCACAF competitions, including the National Cup and Gold Cup. The 35-year-old is taking part in his second World Cup, having previously been selected by FIFA to officiate the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, as per AS.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Hindustan Times....