No VAR: Why the referee disallowed France’s free-kick against Spain in the World Cup semi-final

Spain’s Fabian Ruiz, left, protests against referee Ivan Barton of El Salvador during the World Cup semifinal soccer match between France and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Spain’s 2-0 victory over France in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup put Luis de la Fuente’s side through to the final, but one of the biggest problems came just before half-time when referee Ivan Barton unexpectedly disallowed a free-kick that had already been awarded to France. The incident caused confusion among players, pundits and supporters, with many initially believing that the video assistant referee (VAR) had intervened. Social media quickly filled with accusations ranging from inconsistency to corruption. However, the decision was not made by VAR at all. Instead, it stemmed from the advice of the assistant referee, who informed Barton after a clearer view of the incident that his original call was incorrect.

A controversial incident that confused players and fans

The incident took place in the 43rd minute when Spain was already leading 1-0 from Mikel Oyarzabal’s penalty.France winger Ousmane Dembélé won possession before running down the side across the edge of Spain’s penalty area. As he tried to get the ball past Fabian Ruiz, the Paris Saint-Germain forward appeared to lose his footing after stretching too hard for the ball.Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton judged from his starting position that Ruiz had fouled Dembélé and awarded France a dangerous free-kick just outside the penalty area.Ruiz immediately protested, insisting that he had made no contact with his club-mate. Several Spanish players, including Rodri, Lamine Yamal and Álex Baena, also surrounded Barton to question the decision.Television footage appeared to support Spain’s protests, showing Dembélé stumbling before Ruiz made any meaningful contact.

Spain’s Fabian Ruiz (8) protests against referee Ivan Barton of El Salvador during the World Cup semifinal soccer match between France and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Moments later, Barton unexpectedly reversed his original decision, awarding possession back to Spain and allowing them to resume play.

The decision did not come from VAR

The sudden turnaround led many viewers to believe that VAR had stepped in.However, that was not the case.It was later clarified that the decision was overturned based on a communication from the assistant referee, not the video assistant referee.According to rules expert Dale Johnson, an assistant informed Barton that Ruiz did not commit the foul after he had a clearer angle of the incident.“I was told the referee disallowed the free-kick on the advice of his assistant,” Johnson explained. “He looked strange though.”As the assistant referee had additional information before play was restarted, Barton was able to correct his original decision without requiring a VAR review.

Why fans initially believed something unusual had happened

The incident caused widespread confusion as it differed from several high-profile decisions earlier in the tournament.During Argentina’s quarter-final against Switzerland, referee João Pinheiro first booked Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes before VAR intervened to confirm that Breel Embolo had faked the incident. The caution was subsequently extended to Embola, who received a second yellow card and was sent off.In this situation, VAR became involved because disciplinary sanctions were part of the review process.However, against France, Barton did not show Ruiz a yellow card before the game was stopped.With no disciplinary action to review, the assistant referee was simply able to point out that the original foul call was incorrect before the free kick was taken, allowing Barton to immediately overturn the call.This difference was not immediately apparent to viewers, many of whom believed that a new refereeing protocol had been introduced.

Social media exploded before an explanation emerged

Before clarification was made, supporters questioned how the decision was reached.One supporter wrote: “Making up the rules as we go. Free kick overturned.”Another wrote: “Still trying to figure out how Fabian Ruiz’s free kick was overturned. Absurd regardless of whether it was a free kick or not.”Others went further, accusing officials of inconsistency and even corruption after witnessing what appeared to be an unprecedented turnaround.Clarifying that the decision was corrected by the assistant referee – not VAR – eventually cleared up much of the confusion, although the unusual sequence surprised many viewers.

Spain stayed in control to reach another World Cup final

In the end, the controversy had little effect on the outcome. Spain took the lead earlier in the half when Lamine Yamal was brought down by Lucas Digne in the penalty area, allowing Mikel Oyarzabal to convert from the spot.Pedro Porro doubled La Roja’s advantage after the break with an equalizing finish after a fluid attacking move to seal a 2-0 victory that sent the European champions into the World Cup final.While the missed free kick briefly dominated the discussion during the closing stages of the first half, the decision itself was made entirely within the laws of the game. Rather than a VAR intervention, this was a rare example of an assistant referee helping to correct an error on the pitch before play was restarted, ensuring that the original error did not stand.