Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić will take charge of Sunday's FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, becoming the first official from his country to be appointed to football's biggest match. FIFA announced Vinčić's selection ahead of the showpiece at the New York New Jersey Stadium, with the governing body sharing an emotional video showing the 45-year-old learning he had been chosen to officiate the tournament's title decider. The appointment is the latest milestone in a distinguished refereeing career that has seen Vinčić earn a reputation as one of Europe's most trusted match officials. The 2026 World Cup is his second appearance at the tournament, having also officiated at the 2022 edition in Qatar, where he handled two group-stage matches. At the 2026 World Cup, Vinčić has overseen Brazil's Group C draw with Morocco, Algeria's Group J victory over Jordan and Mexico's Round of 32 win over Ecuador, performances that convinced FIFA's Referees Committee to hand him the biggest assignment of the tournament. Sunday's final will not be unfamiliar territory for the experienced Slovenian. In 2024, he refereed the UEFA Champions League final at Wembley Stadium, where Real Madrid defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-0 to lift Europe's most prestigious club trophy. He became only the second Slovenian referee, after Damir Skomina, to officiate a Champions League final. Vinčić also took charge of the 2022 UEFA Europa League final, which Eintracht Frankfurt won on penalties against Rangers. His experience at major international tournaments is equally impressive. He refereed Spain's victory over France in the UEFA Euro 2024 semi-finals and Italy's quarter-final win over Belgium at Euro 2020. Including this World Cup, Vinčić has now officiated 11 matches across the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship. Red-card streak ends in North America One of the more remarkable aspects of Vinčić's international career was his disciplinary record. Before this year's World Cup, he had never shown a red card in a major international tournament. That streak ended during Mexico's Round of 32 victory over Ecuador, when he sent off defender Piero Hincapié under the tournament's new 'Vinícius Rule'. The regulation, introduced for the 2026 World Cup, is designed to discourage players from concealing potentially abusive language by covering their mouths during confrontations. Hincapié received a straight red card late in the match after shielding his mouth while arguing with Mexico forward Santiago Giménez, becoming the first player dismissed under the new law.
