While FIFA confirmed the Salvadoran Iván Barton as the referee of the semifinal between Spain and France, the Venezuelan Jesús Valenzuela remains firmly among the select group of referees who still aspire to direct one of the last matches of the 2026 World Cup.
The designation of Barton for the duel that will be played this Tuesday in Arlington further reduced the number of candidates for the decisive matches of the tournament. However, Valenzuela remains on the list of 13 referees that the FIFA Referees Commission maintains for the final four rounds of the championship, a recognition of the performance he has shown during the competition.
The Venezuelan has responded with solid and discreet performances, maintaining control of the matches without becoming the protagonist. His disciplinary management and the application of the new refereeing guidelines implemented by FIFA have been part of a work that allowed him to overcome the constant evaluations carried out after each commitment.
Remaining in the group of referees eligible for decisive instances represents important support from FIFA, which progressively reduces the list of referees as the tournament progresses. Only those who receive the best ratings continue to be considered for the semi-finals, the third place match and the grand final.
With Barton already assigned for Spain-France, Valenzuela retains options to receive the designation for the other semifinal or for one of the two matches that will close the World Cup. The decision will depend, among other factors, on the classified teams and the neutrality criteria applied by the Referees Commission.
For the Venezuelan judge, who already has experience in the 2022 Qatar World Cup and has directed the finals of Conmebol competitions, remaining among the chosen ones confirms his consolidation as one of the most prestigious referees on the continent.
While waiting for the next FIFA appointments, Venezuela continues to have representation in the refereeing elite of world football thanks to Jesús Valenzuela, who continues in the race to provide justice in one of the most important matches of the 2026 World Cup.
In addition to Jesús Valenzuela and Iván Barton, FIFA has 11 other referees in the running for the four remaining matches of the 2026 World Cup. The list is completed by Alireza Faghani (Australia), Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan), Jalal Jayed (Morocco), Ismail Elfath (United States), Wilton Sampaio (Brazil), Espen Eskas (Norway), Szymon Marciniak (Poland), Maurizio Mariani (Italy), Glenn Nyberg (Sweden), João Pinheiro (Portugal) and Slavko Vinčić (Slovenia). All of them continue to be evaluated by the FIFA Referees Commission for the designations of the second semi-final, the third place match and the grand final.
