Alex MacQuoid
The Slovenian Official Becomes the First From His Country to Take Charge of Football’s Biggest Match
FIFA has confirmed the identity of the referee for the 2026 World Cup Final, and it’s a landmark appointment. Slavko Vinčić of Slovenia will take charge of Spain vs Argentina this Sunday, July 19, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey — becoming the first Slovenian official ever entrusted with the tournament’s title match, and only the 23rd referee in World Cup history to reach that stage.
The 46-year-old was informed of his appointment by Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s Chief Refereeing Officer, in a moment captured on video and shared across FIFA’s channels. Vinčić didn’t hide his emotions.
“So, first of all, a shock. Then happiness. I was shaking, so it’s an incredible honour to get the World Cup final,” he said. “It’s something that… it’s only a dream for a referee, for a young referee when they start.”
Kickoff between Spain and Argentina is set for 3:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. PT on Sunday. U.S. viewers can catch the match on Fox, Telemundo, Universo, Telexitos, Fox One and fubo.
Who Will Be Alongside Him: The Full Officiating Crew
Vinčić won’t be working alone. FIFA has built a team around him that spans four countries, reflecting the scale of trust placed in his group.
| Role | Official | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Referee | Slavko Vinčić | Slovenia |
| Assistant Referee 1 | Tomaž Klančnik | Slovenia |
| Assistant Referee 2 | Andraž Kovačič | Slovenia |
| Fourth Official | Adham Makhadmeh | Jordan |
| Reserve Assistant Referee | Mohammad Al-Kalaf | Jordan |
| VAR | Bastian Dankert | Germany |
| Assistant VAR | Nicolás Gallo | Colombia |
| Support VAR | Khamis Al Marri | Qatar |
Vinčić was quick to credit the two assistants who’ve travelled the road with him for years. “Refereeing is all about teamwork,” he said. “Without Tomaž and Andraž, this is not possible. We are really good friends, a good team, and thanks to them.”
For context, Jesús Valenzuela of Venezuela will handle Saturday’s third-place playoff between France and England at Miami Stadium.
Why FIFA Trusted Him With the Final
Collina was direct about what tipped the scales in Vinčić’s favor: consistent performance across the tournament, not reputation alone.
“There are many pieces of the puzzle but they have had to be combined all together to get the picture of the final referee,” Collina explained. “Of course, the performances are what matter the most… At the end of the day, it’s what really matters.”
Vinčić has now taken charge of four matches at the 2026 World Cup — group-stage fixtures between Brazil and Morocco and Jordan and Algeria, followed by Mexico’s Round of 32 win over Ecuador. That last one turned into one of the tournament’s defining refereeing storylines.
The Red Card That Made Headlines: Ecuador’s Piero Hincapié and the “Vinícius Rule”
Until his round-of-32 assignment, Vinčić had refereed 10 straight matches across major international tournaments without producing a single red card. That streak ended in dramatic fashion during Mexico’s 2-0 win over Ecuador.
Late in the game at Estadio Azteca, Ecuador defender Piero Hincapié covered his mouth while exchanging words with Mexico’s Santiago Giménez — a gesture that falls squarely under the so-called “Vinícius rule,” introduced to stop players from concealing potentially abusive language. Vinčić didn’t see the incident live but, after a VAR review and a pitchside monitor check, showed Hincapié a straight red.
It was the first sending-off of Vinčić’s tournament career, and it instantly made him a talking point heading into the final.
A Résumé Built on Europe’s Biggest Nights
Vinčić didn’t arrive at this appointment overnight. A top-flight referee in Slovenia since 2007 and a FIFA-listed official since 2010, he has spent the past decade climbing through the sport’s most prestigious knockout fixtures.
- 2024 UEFA Champions League Final: Real Madrid 2-0 Borussia Dortmund, Wembley Stadium
- 2022 UEFA Europa League Final: Eintracht Frankfurt beat Rangers on penalties
- 72 total Champions League and Europa League appearances, including 16 Champions League knockout-stage games
- Euro 2024 semifinal: Spain’s win over France
- Euro 2021 quarterfinal: Italy’s win over Belgium
He is only the second Slovenian, after Damir Škomina in 2019, to referee a Champions League final — a rare distinction that underlines how highly UEFA and FIFA both regard him.
History With the Finalists: A Winless Record Against Argentina, a Clean Sheet Over Spain
This isn’t Vinčić’s first brush with either finalist, and the numbers tell an interesting story. He has refereed Spain four times, with La Roja unbeaten in all of them, including a 1-0 win over Italy at Euro 2024.
Argentina’s history with him is rockier. His only previous assignment involving Lionel Scaloni’s side was the shock group-stage defeat to Saudi Arabia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar — a result that stunned the football world before Argentina regrouped to lift the trophy weeks later.
Card Counts and Controversy: Is Vinčić a Strict Referee?
Statistically, Vinčić sits close to the middle of the pack. Across his five World Cup appearances he has averaged 3.0 yellow cards per game, and that rises to roughly 3.3 per game when his Euros matches are folded in — both comfortably below the 2022 World Cup’s overall tournament average of 3.55 cautions per match.
But raw numbers don’t tell the whole story. In April, Vinčić became the center of controversy during Bayern Munich’s 4-3 Champions League quarterfinal win over Real Madrid. With Madrid leading 3-2 late on and the tie level at 4-4 heading toward extra time, he showed Eduardo Camavinga a second yellow card in the 86th minute for what many felt was a marginal foul.
The decision drew fierce criticism. Jude Bellingham called the red card “a joke,” while AS’s refereeing analyst, former FIFA official Eduardo Iturralde González, said Vinčić lacked “common sense,” adding: “At this level you can’t leave a team with ten men for that.”
Yet the picture isn’t one-sided. Current Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho, while managing Fenerbahçe in 2025, publicly praised Vinčić after he was drafted in to referee a heated Galatasaray clash. “The performance of the referee was a top performance,” Mourinho said at the time. “I think the man responsible for that was the referee.”
Slavko Vinčić: Fact File
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Age | 46 |
| Born | Maribor, Slovenia, November 25, 1979 |
| Top-flight domestic referee since | 2007 |
| FIFA official since | 2010 |
| World Cup appearances | 5 (2022, 2026) |
| European Championship appearances | 6 (2021, 2024) |
| Champions League referee since | 2016 |
| Champions League matches | 50 (16 knockout stage) |
| Notable finals | 2024 UEFA Champions League Final, 2022 UEFA Europa League Final |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is refereeing the 2026 World Cup Final between Spain and Argentina?
Slovenian official Slavko Vinčić has been appointed as the lead referee, supported by assistants Tomaž Klančnik and Andraž Kovačič.
Has Slavko Vinčić refereed a major final before?
Yes. He officiated the 2024 UEFA Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, and the 2022 UEFA Europa League Final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers.
Where and when is the 2026 World Cup Final?
The match kicks off Sunday, July 19, at 3:00 p.m. ET (12:00 p.m. PT) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Has Vinčić refereed Spain or Argentina before?
He has taken charge of four Spain matches, with Spain unbeaten in all of them, and one Argentina match — the Group C defeat to Saudi Arabia at the 2022 World Cup.
The Bigger Picture
A World Cup Final referee appointment is rarely just about one match — it’s a career-defining moment shaped by years of performances on the continent’s biggest stages. Vinčić now carries that responsibility into a final pitting Spain’s pursuit of a second World Cup title against Argentina’s bid to defend its 2022 crown and claim a historic fourth. Every whistle, every card, and every VAR review will be dissected in real time by two football-mad nations and a global audience. For Vinčić, the goal, as he put it himself, is simple: stay focused, stay sharp, and make sure the story of Sunday’s final belongs to the players — not the officials.