Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic has been appointed to officiate the FIFA World Cup 2026 final between Argentina and Spain at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, becoming the first referee from Slovenia to take charge of football's biggest match.
The announcement was made by FIFA on Friday, with FIFA Chief Refereeing Officer Pierluigi Collina informing the 46-year-old of his appointment.
Hailing from Maribor, Slovenia, Vinčić becomes the 23rd referee in history to officiate a FIFA World Cup final and the first from his country to achieve the milestone.
A Career Filled With Major Finals
Vinčić has established himself as one of Europe's most experienced referees over the past decade.
An international FIFA referee since 2010, he has officiated 72 UEFA Champions League and Europa League matches, including several high-profile knockout fixtures and finals.
Among the biggest matches of his career are:
- 2022 UEFA Europa League Final - Eintracht Frankfurt vs Rangers
- 2024 UEFA Champions League Final - Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund
- UEFA EURO 2024 Semi-final - France vs Spain
He has also officiated matches at UEFA EURO 2020, UEFA EURO 2024, the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, and is currently working at his second FIFA World Cup, having refereed two matches at the 2022 tournament in Qatar. Interestingly, one of the two matches that he officiated at the Qatar World Cup was Argentina's match against Saudi Arabia that saw the latter defeat the eventual champions 3-2 in one of the greatest upsets of all time.
Introducing your referee for the @FIFAWorldCup 2026 Final....🥁
— FIFA (@FIFAcom) July 17, 2026
Congratulations, Slavko Vinčić! 👏 pic.twitter.com/OMLJ3oA31p
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Vinčić's Matches At FIFA World Cup 2026
Before earning the final assignment, Vinčić handled three matches during the tournament:
- Brazil vs Morocco (Group Stage)
- Jordan vs Algeria (Group Stage)
- Mexico vs Ecuador (Round of 32)
The Mexico-Ecuador fixture featured his first-ever red card in a major international tournament after Ecuador defender Piero Hincapié was sent off following a VAR review.
Match Officials
Vinčić will be assisted by fellow Slovenians Tomaž Klančnik and Andraž Kovačič, while Jordan's Adham Makhadmeh will serve as the fourth official and Mohammad Al-Kalaf as the reserve assistant referee.
The match officials for @FIFAWorldCup Final have been appointed. 🤝
— FIFA (@FIFAcom) July 16, 2026
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