Who is Iván Barton, the referee for Monterrey - Inter Miami today?

Iván Barton will referee today’s CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter-final clash between Monterrey and Inter Miami, as Lionel Messi and Co bid to overturn a first-leg deficit in the decider in Mexico.

Barton’s Champions Cup record

Barton, who was among the referees chosen for the 2022 World Cup, will be making his 15th appearance in CONCACAF’s elite club competition. The 33-year-old’s previous appointments in the Champions Cup - and its predecessor, the CONCACAF Champions League - include two finals.

In 2022, the Salvadoran ran the rule over the first leg of Seattle’s 5-2 aggregate triumph over Pumas. A year later, he oversaw the return match in León’s 3-1 two-legged win against Los Angeles FC.

First ref to book Messi after Miami move

In continental club soccer, Barton also became the first referee to show Messi a yellow card as a Miami player, cautioning the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner in a 2023 Leagues Cup match against Orlando City in August.

Indeed, the referee was later criticised for only booking Messi once in an eventful Florida derby. Speaking post-match, Orlando head coach Óscar Pareja said: “There were a couple of fouls by Leo that deserved a second yellow card. I don’t care if it’s him - he should be measured by the same yardstick. Things should be fair, and what happened out on the pitch wasn’t.”

Barton likely to face fiery encounter in Monterrey

Messi, who has missed a number of Miami Games through injury this season, is set to be fit to start today’s last-eight second leg Monterrey, with the Herons 2-1 down from the opener a week ago. The return in Monterrey is shaping up as an encounter with an edge, after tempers flared between the teams at the end of their meeting in Florida.

Barton is no stranger to fiery clashes between Mexican and American teams. In June 2023, he sent four players off in an ill-tempered CONCACAF Nations League semi-final between Mexico and the United States. 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 that again involved Mexico, when Honduras were angered by his decision to play 12 minutes of time added on. The Mexicans won the quarter-final on penalties after levelling in the 101st minute, leading the Honduran Football Federation’s president to threaten legal action against Barton.

“We were the victims of the match going to extra time and penalties,” Jorge Salomón told Honduran 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.”

Watch - Monterrey’s warm welcome for Miami:

Monterrey vs Inter Miami: start time, how to watch

Monterrey host Inter Miami today, Wednesday 10 April 2024, with kick-off at the Estadio BBVA scheduled for 10:30pm ET/7:30pm PT. Viewers in the United States can watch the quarter-final second leg live on Fox Sports 1 and TUDN USA.

Monterrey vs Inter Miami: live with AS USA

You can follow live-text coverage of Monterrey vs Miami at AS USA. Will Gittins will be building up to the game from about 90 minutes ahead of kick-off, before bringing you minute-by-minute commentary of the action.

Who will Iván Barton’s assistant referees be?

Barton’s assistant referees in Monterrey will be compatriot David Morán and Nicaragua’s Henri Pupiro. The fourth official will be the Salvadoran Ismael Cornejo.

Who will the VAR be in Monterrey vs Inter Miami?

The video assistant referee (VAR) at the Estadio BBVA will be Costa Rica’s Benjamín Pineda, and his assistant VAR will be countryman Ricardo Montero.