The report says Barton reviewed the incident on VAR before dismissing Almirón, with the updated law allowing a red card when a player covers his mouth in a confrontation to conceal provocative or insulting language.
That matters because it underlines where modern refereeing is headed:
“O VAR não está aí para eliminar 100% dos erros. Os erros sempre farão parte do futebol, porque há muitas questões abertas à interpretação,” Barton said. That is a useful reminder in an era when supporters often expect video review to turn every decision into certainty.
Barton also addressed ’s fixed hydration breaks, reportedly scheduled around the middle of each half regardless of stadium conditions. He acknowledged the obvious football tension: a mandatory pause can disrupt momentum.
But Barton’s argument was practical. “Nos Estados Unidos, os verões são extremos, e muitas vezes fica difícil dizer: neste jogo, sim; neste jogo, não,” he said. For referees, the stoppage is not only about players; it also offers recovery time and a chance to reset communication with assistants.
There was also a human side to Barton’s account. “Em campo, não há grandes nomes nem grandes equipes. Você vê 11 jogadores contra 11 jogadores,” he said, stressing that stars such as Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, Lamine Yamal and James Rodríguez should not alter how laws are applied. And perhaps his most revealing line came away from the whistle: “Por trás do árbitro existe um ser humano. Há um pai, um marido, um filho.”
The next storyline will be how widely this interpretation of Law 12 is enforced after the tournament - and whether fixed breaks become a lasting feature whenever elite football heads into extreme summer conditions.