World Cup fans baffled by referee during France vs Spain as decision overturned

World Cup fans baffled by referee during France vs Spain as decision overturned centers on a contentious officiating moment in the Spain vs France semi-final. In the first half in Dallas, midfielder Fabian Ruiz was judged to have fouled Ousmane Dembele near the edge of the box, prompting referee Ivan Barton to award a free-kick. Ruiz challenged the decision quickly, and some supporters believed VAR had intervened to reverse the call. However, BBC referee expert Dale Johnson suggested the free-kick was overturned at the request of the assistant referee rather than VAR, which cannot be used except for defined “clear and obvious” or “serious missed incident” categories. The controversy also reflects FIFA’s mistaken identity rule, illustrated by cases including Breel Embolo’s dismissal versus Argentina and Tim Ream’s rescinded yellow earlier in the tournament.