Who is Iván Barton, the referee for Panama - USMNT at the Copa América?

El Salvador’s Iván Barton will referee the USMNT’s second group-stage game at the 2024 Copa América, as the tournament hosts take on Panama in Atlanta.

Follow live the action between Panama & USMNT in the Copa América

Who is Iván Barton?

A chemistry graduate who has been on FIFA’s list of international referees since 2018, Barton is an experienced official. He has refereed in the Gold Cup, the CONCACAF Nations League, the CONCACAF Champions Cup and the Club World Cup - and, most notably, was on the roster of whistlers for the 2022 World Cup. He took charge of three games in Qatar, including England’s last-16 win over Senegal.

Barton has crossed paths with the USMNT and Panama on several occasions already. He has refereed four games involving the Panamanians - the most recent of which was a 5-1 defeat to the Stars and Stripes in a 2022 World Cup qualifier. The last of his six USMNT games, meanwhile, proved to be one of the most memorable matches of his refereeing career so far.

In an ill-tempered CONCACAF Nations League semi-final between the US and Mexico in June 2023, Barton sent no fewer than four players off, including Americans Sergiño Dest and Weston McKennie. The game also saw the referee blow early for full time, after Mexican fans ignored stadium announcements demanding they stop homophobic chanting.

Later in 2023, Barton’s refereeing courted controversy in a Nations League clash also involving Mexico, when Honduras threatened legal action over his decision to play 12 minutes of added time. The Mexicans won the quarter-final on penalties after equalising in the 101st minute of regular time, leading the Honduran Football Federation’s president, Jorge Salomón, to tell the newspaper El Heraldo: “We’re going to assess what we can do in legal terms. The refereeing didn’t just go in favour of the home team, it was if they’d been told what to do.”

Panama vs USMNT: start time, how to watch

On matchday two of Group C, Panama and the USMNT face off on Thursday 27 June 2024. Kick-off at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, is scheduled for 6pm ET/3pm PT. Viewers in the US will be able to watch the game on Fox Network, TUDN USA and Univision. Your streaming options include the online platform fuboTV, which offers new users a free trial.

Enjoy the Copa América on fubo.

Panama vs USMNT: live with AS USA

You’ll also have the option of following AS USA’s live-text coverage of Panama vs the USMNT. Will Gittins will be building up to the clash from around 90 minutes ahead of kick-off in Atlanta, before offering minute-by-minute commentary.

The USMNT head into the game sitting second in Group C, after beating Bolivia 2-0 in their opener on Sunday. Panama, meanwhile, are bottom of the group after beginning their campaign with a 3-1 defeat to Uruguay.

Who will Barton’s assistant referees be for Panama vs USMNT?

Barton’s assistant referees will be David Moran, also Salvadoran, and Nicaragua’s Henri Pupiro. The fourth and fifth officials will be Peru’s Kevin Ortega and Stephen Atoche, respectively. The video assistant referee (VAR) will be Nicaragua’s Tatiana Guzmán, while Colombia’s David Rodríguez will be the assistant VAR. This will be Barton’s second run-out at the 2024 Copa América, after he oversaw Argentina’s win over Canada in the tournament’s opening game.