Referee Ivan Barton from El Salvador will officiate the opening game of the German national team at the World Cup in Qatar. This was announced by the world football association FIFA on Monday (November 21, 2022).
For the 31-year-old, the duel between the DFB team and the Asians on Wednesday (November 23, 2022, 2 p.m., live on Erste) is the 96th FIFA appearance. The 31-year-old chemistry professor at the University of El Salvador has been whistling games for the world association since 2018. Despite his young age, Barton already has a lot of experience. In 2019 he was in action at the CONCACAF Gold Cup and the U17 World Cup in Brazil.
Barton in Qatar third youngest referee
The referee from Santa Ana is the third youngest referee at the Winter Desert World Championships in Qatar after Kevin Ortega and Said Martinez. In Germany’s duel with Japan, compatriot David Moran and Zachari Zeegelaar from Suriname are Barton’s assistants.
In addition, a referee will be used for the first time in this game. Kathryn Nesbitt from the USA is responsible for the new semi-automatic offside detection.