FIFA has handed Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić the biggest appointment of his career, confirming he will officiate Sunday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup final between defending champions Argentina and Spain at the New York New Jersey Stadium.The 46-year-old has spent nearly two decades climbing through the refereeing ranks of European football 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 named fourth official and Mohammad Alkalaf assistant reserve 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 country’s first division in 2007 before earning his FIFA international badge in 2010.His performances quickly established him among UEFA’s elite officials, leading to regular appearances 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 duties, 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 man of the tournament award.According to TransfermarktVinčić officiated more than 500 senior professional matches, issuing 2,093 yellow cards, 113 red cards and awarding 117 penalties during his career.
The World Cup journey reaches its peak
Sunday’s final will be Vinčić’s eighth World Cup match in the last two tournaments.He appeared for the first time at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 before returning for four additional appointments during the 2026 tournament. Those performances convinced the refereeing department of FIFA to give him the final between Spain and Argentina.Before this World Cup, Vinčić officiated Brazil’s group stage draw with Morocco, Algeria’s win over Jordan and Mexico’s round of 16 win against Ecuador.
Referee Slavko Vincic of Slovenia talks to Piero Hincapie (3) of Ecuador 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 tie drew particular attention after Vinčić dismissed Ecuadorian defender Piero Hincapié following a VAR review for covering his mouth while talking to Mexican forward Santiago Giménez, marking the first red card of his major career at an international tournament after overseeing ten World Cup and European Championship matches without a player being sent off.
His record with Argentina
Despite Argentina’s regular appearances at major tournaments, Vinčić has refereed Lionel Scaloni’s side just 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 match.The Slovenian official awarded Argentina an early penalty after Leandro Paredes was fouled in the area, allowing Lionel Messi to score from the spot, and then showed Saudi players six yellow cards.Although Argentina suffered one of the biggest defeats in World Cup history that afternoon, they recovered to win six straight games and lift the trophy in Qatar.Sunday’s final will therefore be only the second Argentinian match of Vinčić’s international refereeing career.
Spain’s unbeaten record under Vinčić
Spain, on the contrary, met Vinčić much more often, although notably, all these encounters came in UEFA competitions, as the Slovenian referee had never officiated in Spain in a FIFA World Cup match before this 2026 final appointment.Before the final, he had taken charge of four matches involving La Roja, with Spain remaining unbeaten in each of them.
Before the emergence of Lamine Yamal
Vinčić’s first assignments involving Spain came before Lamine Yamal’s rise to senior international level.His first Spain cap came in a 2017 friendly against Colombia, which ended in a 2-2 draw, before he officiated Spain’s goalless Euro 2020 group stage draw against Sweden. He was then named for La Roja’s UEFA Nations League semi-final clash with Italy in 2023, where Spain secured a 2-1 win, further highlighting their involvement in Europe’s top games.Vinčić also officiated in Spain during the Lamine Yamal emergency, including two defining matches in their Euro 2024 triumph.These included Spain’s 1-0 group stage win over Italy and the memorable 2-1 semi-final win over France, where Yamal scored his stunning long-range equalizer before Spain completed another comeback on their way to lifting the European Championship.In both phases, before and after Yamal’s discovery, Spain 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 their whistle, while Argentina’s only previous experience with the Slovenian official ended in defeat.
The career continued after the 2020 police investigation
Away from football, Vinčić briefly found himself making international headlines in 2020 after he was arrested during a police raid on a suspected prostitution and organized crime operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.Slovenian authorities and Vinčić have always maintained that he attended a business meeting and was not involved in any criminal activity. He was released without charge, no proceedings were brought against him and he returned to office soon after.His subsequent appearances at the Champions League final, the European Championship, the 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, though, none of that history will matter once the whistle blows. Vinčić will oversee only the second ever World Cup final between reigning champions Argentina and newly crowned European champions Spain, with football’s biggest prize and a place in history awaiting the winner.