FIFA's director of refereeing, Pierluigi Collina, has defended the official in France's World Cup semifinal loss to Spain, pushing back against criticism from France coach Didier Deschamps. Following Spain's 2-0 victory in Arlington, Texas, Deschamps questioned whether Salvadoran referee Iván Barton was adequate for a World Cup semifinal, citing a penalty incident and "everything else." Collina, a former World Cup final referee himself, responded with a firm "Yes, absolutely," asserting that FIFA's referees are "world class."

Deschamps expressed frustration, stating, "If I say anything, I'll look like a sore loser... but I ask you: is the referee up to the task of officiating a semifinal?" He also attributed France's loss to Spain's strong defense and France's own technical errors. Spain secured their place in the final with a penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal and a goal from Pedro Porro.

France will now compete in the third-place match in Miami Gardens, Florida. This defense of the referee comes after Collina previously defended officials following criticism from Egypt after their World Cup exit. Spain awaits the winner of the other semifinal between Argentina and England.