FIFA Appoints Slavko Vinčić for World Cup Final
The stage is set for football’s biggest game at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Lionel Messi's Argentina will be aiming to defend their FIFA World Cup crown, while La Roja will be looking to lift their second World Cup title in history.
FIFA announced that Slovene referee Slavko Vincic will officiate the 2026 FIFA World Cup final in the USA, assisted by fellow Slovenians Tomaž Klančnik and Andraž Kovačič.
Slavko Vinčić has spent nearly two decades officiating at the highest level, including UEFA Champions League and Europa League finals.
World Cup Debut Came in Argentina's Shock Defeat
He debuted in the World Cup in 2022, where Argentina was defeated by Saudi Arabia with a score of 2-1. In that match, he ruled out three Argentina goals for offside and issued six yellow cards to Saudi Arabia.
The official has been at the center of several controversial refereeing decisions in recent Champions League matches.
Slavko Vincic was heavily criticized by Barcelona for not awarding a penalty for a handball incident and disallowing Pedri's goal in the match, which was won by Inter with a score of 1-0.
Once again he became the center of controversy in the world of football for giving a second yellow card to Camavinga in the 85th minute of the Champions League quarterfinal tie against Bayern for wasting time when the score was 4-4. Afterward, Bayern scored the winner through Luis Díaz.
The Bosnian Police Investigation Explained
The most controversial situation that happened in the official’s life was off the pitch, where he was caught by Bosnian police along with 16 people suspected of belonging to an international criminal group.
According to the police department, "During a search of the weekend house and the expensive vehicles used by the suspects, 14 packages containing 46 grams of cocaine, medical drugs, 10 pistols, three bulletproof vests, more than 20,000 marks in various currencies, phones, laptops..." However, the Slovene referee was not the organizer but merely one of the guests at the party and was detained as a witness and then released as per Slovene media.
A Familiar Referee for Spain
He also officiated the Ecuador vs. Mexico round of 32 match at Mexico City in this edition of the World Cup.
He is a familiar face for the Spanish team, as he was the referee when Spain defeated France in the semifinals of Euro 2024.