Referee Ivan Barton left red-faced after forgetting vanishing spray during Spain's World Cup semi-final victory over France

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The "phone, wallet, keys" checklist is a familiar morning ritual for many people - a simple reminder to make sure the essentials are covered before heading out. For football referees, the equivalent is usually straightforward: boots, cards and a whistle.

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In more recent times, however - including the 2026 FIFA World Cup - one more item has become essential: the vanishing spray.

Referee Ivan Barton discovered its importance during Spain's impressive 2-0 against France in the semi-finals at Dallas Stadium when he realised he had left his canister behind.

With a defensive wall waiting to be organised, the Salvadoran official was forced to jog to the touchline to retrieve the spray before he could mark out the required distance.

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The incident came less than 10 minutes into the match after France midfielder Adrien Rabiot caught Dani Olmo late, standing on the Spain forward’s boot and earning an early yellow card.

Spain were awarded a dangerous free-kick just outside the penalty area, presenting an opportunity to take an early lead. Instead, the moment became memorable for the wrong reason.

As Barton attempted to prepare the set piece, he realised he was missing one of the key tools of modern refereeing and had to leave the scene to collect it.

ITV commentator Sam Matterface noticed the unusual delay, saying: "The referee is coming over to the touchline to collect the stuff they spray down on the floor. He didn’t have his can. He needed that shaving foam.”

Co-commentator Lee Dixon added: "He's left it in the dressing room."

Former England striker Chris Sutton, covering the match for BBC Radio 5 Live, was equally amused.

"The referee [Ivan Barton] has forgotten his spray. Come on, you have two jobs. Remember your whistle and remember your spray."

The delay was brief, but it highlighted how a small piece of equipment has become an important part of the modern game.

Known as vanishing spray or disappearing foam, the canister is used to ensure defending players remain the required distance away from the ball during free-kicks.

Before its introduction, defenders would often edge forward before the kick was taken, reducing the space available to the attacking team and creating regular disputes between players and officials.

The spray allows referees to mark two points on the pitch: where the ball should be placed and where the defensive wall must stand.

The temporary white line provides a clear visual reference before disappearing shortly afterwards.

Despite looking similar to shaving foam, the substance is specially designed for football. A mixture of water, foaming agents and gases allows it to expand on the grass before breaking down and fading, usually within around a minute.

The technology was first popularised in South American football before becoming a global feature at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Referee Ivan Barton (left) suffered an equipment malfunction in Dallas

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Since then, it has been adopted by competitions around the world as a simple solution to improve fairness and reduce arguments during set pieces.

What appears to be a minor item in a referee’s kit has become a symbol of modern officiating - a small tool that helps maintain order when even a few centimetres can influence the outcome of a match.

Barton’s forgotten spray was therefore an unusual reminder that, for referees as much as anyone else, preparation still begins with remembering the essentials.

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The brief disruption did little to slow Spain, who quickly showed why they entered the semi-final confident of overcoming France for a third consecutive time.

Luis de la Fuente's side had defeated Les Bleus in the Euro 2024 semi-finals before edging France 5-4 in last year's UEFA Nations League, and they once again started fastest.

After Lucas Digne was penalised for bringing down Lamine Yamal inside the penalty area, Mikel Oyarzabal converted from the spot after 22 minutes to score his fifth goal of the tournament - more than any other Spain player.

There was another comical moment when the referee signalled for the hydration break, but France appeared more keen to get on with the game, with several of their players returning to their positions long before the play was set to resume.

The water sprinklers were still activated on the pitch, meaning an unnecessary additional obstacle for the French players looking to find a route back into the contest.

Things went from bad to worse for Didier Deschamps' side within minutes of the restart as centre-back William Saliba was unable to shake off a back complaint and was replaced by Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix.

Spain had their breakthrough to protect. Barton, meanwhile, had needed a little longer to get started.

La Roja doubled their lead after the restart as the hapless Digne was caught ball-watching to allow Pedro Porro to play a one-two with Olmo before the Tottenham Hotspur full-back slotted beyond Mike Maignan as Spain booked their place in Sunday's final against either England or Argentina.

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