Friday's win for the United States against Australia created some separation in Group D of the World Cup 2026 group stage.
Mauricio Pochettino's co-hosts have six points after two matches, Australia three, which means the difference between a win and a loss for Turkey and Paraguay at Levi's Stadium today is all but existential for their World Cup hopes.
With so much on the line in Santa Clara, who's responsible for maintaining order and deciding when to take a hydration break?
Referee appointment for Turkey vs Paraguay
Today's second Group D match will be refereed by Ivan Barton from El Salvador, the nation on the wrong end of the biggest-ever World Cup shoeing.
The Salvadorans have qualified for the finals twice, lost all six matches, and scored one goal. That was in a record 10-1 loss against Hungary in 1982, nine years before Barton was born.
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Barton, 35, has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2018. He's overseen many matches in the United States, Canada and Mexico as a CONCACAF official, and was one of the confederation's five referees at his first World Cup four years ago.
He took charge of three matches in Qatar: Japan's famous win over Germany, Brazil's group stage victory over Switzerland and England's round of 16 match against Senegal.
Barton only booked three players in those games combined, rather fewer on average than he has to issue in the Salvadoran league or continental competitions.
In 24 matches between the Apertura and Clausura in 2025 and 2026, Barton dished out 12 red cards – we'll leave you to do the math(s) on that one – and an average of nearly five yellows per match.
He gave a penalty in every other game, albeit in pairs in a couple of feisty Clausura fixtures this side of the turn of the year.
Barton will be assisted by fellow Salvadoran David Moran and Henry Pupiro from Nicaragua in California tonight. Jamaica's Oshane Nation will be the fourth official.
Khamis Al-Marri from Qatar is on VAR duty.
