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World Cup: Deschamps tears into referee after France’s elimination against Spain
15th July, 2026 11:42 AM
French national team coach Didier Deschamps has taken a swipe at referee Ivan Barton, who officiated the semifinal meeting as France suffered elimination from the World Cup at the semifinal stage on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in Dallas, Texas.
Barton, from El Salvador, was the lead man of the officiating crew, which featured an all-CONCACAF team of three officials on the field.
He awarded Spain a first-half penalty following a foul on Lamine Yamal by Lucas Digne. The TV replay, however, showed that the ball struck the teenager’s arm before Digne clumsily kicked him for the foul inside the box.
Big match
Mikel Oyarzabal converted from the spot to give Spain a 1-0 lead before Pedro Porro doubled the lead in the 58th minute.
In his post-match reaction, the 57-year-old questioned whether the referee was qualified enough to officiate in a big match like the FIFA World Cup semi-final.
“If I say anything, I will look like a sore loser because we lost,” Deschamps told reporters after the match. “But I ask you: is the referee up to the task of officiating a semi-final? There’s the penalty, but that is not all; it adds to everything else. I have nothing against the referee tonight, but ask yourselves the question,” he added.
The coach further noted he only took issue with the centre referee’s performance, adding that his team was well on their job.
“A couple of decisions that were made are questionable. Sincerely, the fourth and fifth officials were great. They were seeing the same things that I was seeing. I had really calm and collected discussions with them, but are the referees of today up to the task of a semifinal? I hope someone has the answer for us.”
End of Dechamps’ tenure
With the defeat marking the end of the veteran gaffer at the helm of the Les Bleus after Saturday’s third playoff clash, Deschamps decried the wasting of the efforts of an entire team and nation.
“It is not because we lost that I am saying this. There were several situations that went against us, but the first reason is that we were a bit below our level,” he stated on his team’s performance.
France, who were aiming for a third consecutive final, will next play the third-place playoff match in Miami on Saturday, July 18, 2026, where they will face the loser of the second semi-final.
Argentina and England will face off today to determine the final lineup and the candidate for the third playoff tie.
