France head coach Didier Deschamps expressed dissatisfaction with the referee's performance in the World Cup semifinal against Spain, reports infohub.kz.
France lost 2-0, failing to reach the World Cup final for a third consecutive time. The opening goal came from a penalty, and the referee showed only three yellow cards throughout the match.
According to Deschamps, referee Ivan Barton was not up to the standard of a semifinal. "If I say anything, I'll look like a whiner because we lost. But I ask you: is the referee capable of officiating a semifinal? There was a penalty, but it's not just that; it all adds up. I have nothing against the referee tonight, but ask yourselves that question," Deschamps said at the post-match press conference.
The penalty was awarded in the 22nd minute after a reckless foul by defender Lucas Digne on Lamine Yamal. Additionally, the referee ignored several other incidents, including a foul by Yamal on Kylian Mbappé.
Spain boss Luis de la Fuente disagreed with his counterpart's criticism. "I disagree. There were some controversial offsides and a few questionable moments, but I'm not going to discuss the refereeing. For me, it's more important that Spain continues to improve," he said.
Spain secured their third consecutive win over France in head-to-head matches. They previously defeated them in the Nations League semifinal (5-4) and at Euro 2024 (2-1).
The World Cup final will take place on the night of July 19-20. Spain will face the winner of the England-Argentina match.