Ivan Barton named referee for Brazil vs Haiti at World Cup 2026

El Salvador’s Ivan Barton has been appointed referee for Brazil’s World Cup 2026 Group C match against Haiti at Lincoln Financial Field, with the South American giants looking to leapfrog Morocco at the top of the standings.

Barton, 35, has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2018 and is a familiar face in CONCACAF competition, having officiated extensively across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Qatar 2022 marked his first World Cup, where he took charge of three matches: Japan’s landmark group-stage victory over Germany, Brazil’s win over Switzerland, and England’s round of 16 defeat of Senegal.

His touch in Qatar was notably light — just three bookings across those three games — a sharp contrast to his domestic workload. In 24 matches across the 2025 and 2026 Apertura and Clausura seasons in El Salvador, Barton issued 12 red cards and averaged close to five yellow cards per game, while awarding a penalty in roughly every other fixture.

Barton will be assisted by fellow Salvadoran David Moran and Nicaragua’s Henry Pupiro, with Jamaica’s Oshane Nation serving as fourth official. Qatar’s Khamis Al-Marri takes responsibility for VAR.

The context surrounding the fixture adds a layer of curiosity to Barton’s appointment. El Salvador — the nation he represents — holds the unwanted distinction of conceding the heaviest defeat in World Cup history, a 10-1 loss to Hungary in 1982, a result that came nine years before Barton was born. El Salvador have qualified for the finals twice, lost all six matches, and scored just that single goal.

Haiti, meanwhile, are playing in their first World Cup since 1974 and were beaten by Scotland in their opening Group C game. They have never won a point at a World Cup finals. Brazil, who sit behind Morocco on goal difference after the opening round of matches, will be heavy favourites to claim all three points and move to the summit of the group.