Neither France nor Spain have had a player sent off at this World Cup, but their semi-final referee has already produced one of the tournament’s most memorable red cards.Ivan Barton made history during Paraguay’s 1-0 group-stage victory over Turkey when he became the first referee at a World Cup to dismiss a player for covering his mouth during a confrontation. Miguel Almiron was sent off following a video review in first-half stoppage time.Barton’s next assignment is the World Cup semi-final between FIFA’s world No 1, France, and third-ranked Spain, the European champions and The Athletic’s tournament favourites.France reached the last four by defeating Morocco 2-0 in the quarter-finals, while Spain beat Belgium 2-1. Spain have conceded just once at the tournament, and France have scored 16 goals and are attempting to reach a third successive World Cup final.Who is the referee?Barton, 35, will take charge of the match and has been a FIFA-listed international referee since 2018. He was born in Santa Ana, El Salvador’s second-largest city. He studied chemical sciences at the University of El Salvador and previously worked as a professor of organic chemistry alongside his refereeing career.He began officiating in El Salvador’s top division during the 2014-15 season and has since become a regular appointment across Concacaf competitions, including the Gold Cup, Nations League and Champions Cup. He has also worked at the Olympic Games and Club World Cup.This is Barton’s second senior World Cup. At Qatar 2022, he refereed Japan’s 2-1 victory over Germany, Brazil’s 1-0 win against Switzerland and England’s 3-0 round-of-16 victory over Senegal.The expert viewAnalysis from referee expert Graham ScottIf a referee can ever ‘shoot to fame’, the official in charge of the first World Cup semi-final between France and Spain certainly had a shot at becoming an overnight sensation earlier in the tournament.Ivan Barton, from El Salvador, became the first referee to send off a player under the new law barring them from covering their mouths while confronting an opponent.