15 July 2026

Didier Deschamps has questioned whether referee Ivan Barton was the appropriate official to handle the World Cup semi-final after France suffered a 2-0 defeat to Spain.

The loss in Dallas brought a disappointing conclusion to Deschamps’ tenure as France’s head coach. The 55-year-old is set to step down following Saturday’s third-place play-off, with Zinedine Zidane expected to take over.

Deschamps, who guided France to World Cup victory in 2018 and reached the final again four years later, watched as his team struggled to control the midfield and failed to make an impact in attack against a dominant Spanish side.

Spain opened the scoring in the first half through Mikel Oyarzabal, who converted a penalty after Lucas Digne clipped Lamine Yamal while attempting to clear a bouncing ball.

The penalty was awarded by Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton, officiating his fourth match of the tournament and his second World Cup overall. Barton, a seasoned official, frequently takes charge of major fixtures in Concacaf competitions.

Despite acknowledging Spain’s superior play, Deschamps voiced frustration about certain refereeing decisions that he felt went against his side.

“There’s obviously a lot of disappointment,” Deschamps said. “The players are devastated because we had high hopes. Even so, we have to be realistic and acknowledge that today we were a step behind technically against a team that played very well. It’s our fault, first and foremost.”

He continued, “Next, I’ll ask a question, but I’m not going to answer it: ‘Is the referee qualified to officiate a World Cup semi-final?’ We’ve had a few of those, and I’m not going to answer that. And it’s not because we lost that I’m saying this, but there were certain situations… Often against us too.”

With the victory, Spain advanced to Sunday’s World Cup final, where they will face either England or Argentina. France, meanwhile, will take on the loser of that match in the play-off for third place.