Iván Barton Height, Age, Family, Biography

Bio/Wiki
Full Name	Iván Arcides Barton Cisneros
Earned Name	"Messi of Referees"
Profession	Football Referee
Physical Stats
Height (approx.)	5' 11" (180 cm)
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Black
Career
League(s)	Domestic: Primera División de Fútbol de El Salvador International: FIFA and CONCACAF
Achievement	Ranked as the highest-rated official at the 2026 FIFA World Cup following the conclusion of the Round of 16
Personal Life
Date of Birth	27 January 1991 (Sunday)
Age (as of 2026)	35 Years
Birthplace	Santa Ana, El Salvador
Zodiac sign	Aquarius
Nationality	Salvadoran
Hometown	Santa Ana, El Salvador
College/University	• University of El Salvador • FIFA/CIES International Programme in Sports Management • International University of La Rioja
Educational Qualification(s)	• Graduation in Chemical Sciences from the University of El Salvador (2009-2014) • Diploma in Sport and Fitness Administration/Management from FIFA/CIES International Programme in Sports Management (March 2023-September 2023) • Master of Business Administration from the International University of La Rioja (June 2026-April 2028)
Religion	Christianity
Food Habit	Non-vegetarian
Social Media	• Instagram • Twitter • LinkedIn
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Married
Marriage Date	9 June 2026
Family
Wife/Spouse	Ana Yancy Abrego (journalist)
Children	Son- 1 Daughter- 1

Some Lesser Known Facts About Iván Barton

• In January 2010, Iván Barton started working as a referee at Salvadoran Football Federation in San Salvador, El Salvador.

• Since 2014-2015, he has been serving as a referee in El Salvador’s Primera División.

• After completing his graduation in Chemical Sciences from the University of El Salvador, he started working as a professor of Organic Chemistry at the same university in January 2015. He served in the position till December 2017.

• In January 2018, he was appointed as a Support Engineer at Instruquimica in San Salvador, El Salvador. He served in the position till October 2020.

• During this period, Iván Barton worked as a Technical Support Chemist and installed, maintained, and repaired Thermo Fisher Scientific chemical analysis equipment for the pharmaceutical, food, and chemical industries in El Salvador.

• In 2018, he became a FIFA-listed international referee.

• That same year, Iván Barton served as a referee during matches at the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship, which was held in the United States.
  

  Iván Barton as a refree during a match

• In 2019, he was appointed as a referee for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the CONCACAF Nations League, and the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Brazil.

• From May 2019 to June 2019, Iván Barton served as a football referee for Poland Local Organising Committee during the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

• In January 2020, he started La Santaneca Sausages in Santa Ana, El Salvador.

• In 2022, Iván Barton officiated the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League Final between Seattle Sounders FC and UNAM. During the match, he awarded three penalty kicks.

• In May 2022, FIFA appointed him as one of the referees for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
  

  Iván Barton during a FIFA World Cup

• He was also part of the CONCACAF referee team chosen for the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco.

• In June 2023, Iván Barton was appointed to referee the CONCACAF Nations League Finals semifinal between regional rivals Mexico and the United States.

• During the second half of that match, several fights broke out between the players. He made headlines for showing the four red cards and ended the match early during stoppage time as the crowd in the ground started shouting homophobic chants.

• He then served as a football referee for the FIFA Club World Cup from June 2025 to July 2025.

• From August 2025 to September 2025, Iván Barton served as a football referee during the Japan Professional Football League (J. League)

• In 2026, he was selected as one of the referees for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
  

  Iván Barton during a match

• During the Group D match between Turkey and Paraguay, Iván Barton sent off Paraguay’s Miguel Almirón after he covered his mouth while arguing with Turkey’s Mert Müldür.

• He then became the first referee to use the tournament’s newly introduced rule in this situation.

• Iván Barton also officiated the group-stage match between Japan and Sweden.

• Later, he was chosen to referee the Round of 16 match between Switzerland and Colombia.

• On 12 July 2026, Iván Barton was appointed as the referee for the FIFA World Cup semifinal between France and Spain at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

• He is often spotted enjoying alcoholic beverages on various occasions.
  

  Iván Barton while enjoying an alcoholic beverage

• Iván Barton likes travelling to distant places in his free time.
  

  Iván Barton during a trip with his wife