FIFA has entrusted Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić with the biggest appointment of his career, confirming that he will officiate Sunday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup final between defending champions Argentina and Spain at New York New Jersey Stadium.The 46-year-old has spent nearly two decades climbing through European football’s refereeing ranks and now becomes the man tasked with overseeing one of the most anticipated World Cup finals in recent history. He will be assisted by fellow Slovenians Tomaž Klančnik and Andraž Kovačič, while Jordan’s Adham Makhadmeh has been appointed fourth official and Mohammad Alkalaf reserve assistant referee.For Vinčić, the appointment represents the culmination of a career built on steady progression through domestic, European and international football.
From Slovenia to football’s biggest stage
Born in Maribor, Slovenia, in 1979, Vinčić began refereeing professionally in his home country’s top division in 2007 before earning his FIFA international badge in 2010.His performances quickly established him among UEFA’s elite officials, leading to regular appointments in the Champions League and Europa League.Over the past decade, he has officiated some of European football’s biggest occasions, including the 2022 UEFA Europa League final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers and the 2024 UEFA Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.Alongside his club assignments, Vinčić has become a regular at international tournaments, officiating at UEFA Euro 2020, Euro 2024, the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and now the 2026 World Cup, where his performances have earned him the tournament’s showpiece fixture.According to Transfermarkt, Vinčić has officiated more than 500 senior professional matches, issuing 2,093 yellow cards, 113 red cards and awarding 117 penalties during his career.
World Cup journey reaches its pinnacle
Sunday’s final will be Vinčić’s eighth World Cup match across the last two tournaments.He first appeared at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 before returning for four further appointments during the 2026 tournament. Those performances convinced FIFA’s refereeing department to hand him the final between Spain and Argentina.Earlier in this World Cup, Vinčić officiated Brazil’s group-stage draw with Morocco, Algeria’s victory over Jordan and Mexico’s Round of 32 win against Ecuador.
Referee Slavko Vincic, of Slovenia, talks to Ecuador’s Piero Hincapie (3) during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Mexico and Ecuador in Mexico City, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
That knockout fixture attracted particular attention after Vinčić dismissed Ecuador defender Piero Hincapié following a VAR review for covering his mouth while speaking to Mexico striker Santiago Giménez, marking the first red card of his major international tournament career after previously overseeing ten World Cup and European Championship matches without sending off a player.
His record with Argentina
Despite Argentina’s regular appearances at major tournaments, Vinčić has refereed Lionel Scaloni’s side only once before.That solitary meeting came in one of the most memorable matches of the 2022 World Cup, Argentina’s shock 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia in their opening group-stage fixture.The Slovenian official awarded Argentina an early penalty after Leandro Paredes was fouled inside the area, allowing Lionel Messi to score from the spot, and later showed six yellow cards to Saudi Arabia players.Although Argentina suffered one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history that afternoon, they recovered to win six consecutive matches and lift the trophy in Qatar.Sunday’s final will therefore be only the second Argentina match of Vinčić’s international refereeing career.
Spain’s unbeaten record under Vinčić
Spain, by contrast, have encountered Vinčić considerably more often, though notably, all of those meetings have come in UEFA competitions, as the Slovenian referee had never officiated Spain in a FIFA World Cup match prior to this 2026 final appointment.Before the final, he had taken charge of four matches involving La Roja, with Spain remaining unbeaten in every one of them.
Before Lamine Yamal’s emergence
Vinčić’s early assignments involving Spain came before the rise of Lamine Yamal at senior international level.His first Spain match came in a 2017 friendly against Colombia, which finished level at 2-2, before he officiated Spain’s goalless Euro 2020 group-stage draw against Sweden. He was later appointed for La Roja’s UEFA Nations League semi-final clash with Italy in 2023, where Spain secured a 2-1 victory, further highlighting his involvement in major European fixtures.Vinčić has also officiated Spain during the emergence of Lamine Yamal, including two defining matches in their Euro 2024 triumph.These included Spain’s 1-0 group-stage victory over Italy and the memorable 2-1 semi-final win over France, where Yamal scored his stunning long-range equaliser before Spain completed another comeback on their way to lifting the European Championship.Across both phases, before and after Yamal’s breakthrough, Spain have maintained a perfect record under Vinčić, remaining unbeaten in all four matches.That contrast adds an intriguing subplot to the final, with Spain yet to lose under his whistle, while Argentina’s only previous experience with the Slovenian official ended in defeat.
Career continued after 2020 police investigation
Away from football, Vinčić briefly found himself making international headlines in 2020 after he was detained during a police raid on a suspected prostitution and organised crime operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.Slovenian authorities and Vinčić consistently maintained that he had been attending a business meeting and had no involvement in any criminal activity. He was released without charge, no proceedings were brought against him and he returned to officiating shortly afterwards.His subsequent appointments to the Champions League final, European Championship, World Cup and now the 2026 World Cup final underline the confidence UEFA and FIFA have continued to place in him since that incident.On Sunday, however, none of that history will matter once the whistle blows. Vinčić will oversee only the second World Cup final ever contested between reigning champions Argentina and newly crowned European champions Spain, with football’s biggest prize and a place in history awaiting the winner.
