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"It's something that ... it's only a dream for a referee, for a young referee when they start. So, I'm very proud, very proud of myself, my team," Slavko Vinčić said upon hearing the news of his appointment to officiate the 2026 World Cup final.
"It's very hard to put everything into words," Vinčić continued, "but I'm very proud to represent my country, Slovenia, at the biggest sporting event on the planet. So, yeah, I'm very proud. My team is very proud, and we will give our very best."
FIFA has selected the 46-year-old as the referee for Sunday's World Cup final between Spain and Argentina. The European champions, who were dominant in their semifinal triumph over tournament favorite France, now face the Lionel Messi-led defending holders.
The Iberian nation served as Messi's spiritual home for the majority of his career, and his ties to Spain were frequently used to question soccer's greatest-ever player while Argentina continued to fall short at major tournaments.
We're in for a unique and hopefully electrifying occasion at MetLife Stadium. Replicating the drama of the 2022 final may be near impossible, but both sides are certain to give it everything they've got.
For Vinčić, he faces the daunting challenge of living up to Szymon Marciniak's exceptional refereeing performance in Lusail four years ago.
Slavko Vincic's Refereeing Record
Vinčić has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2010 and, according to Transfermarkt, has overseen 512 matches throughout his professional career.
A total of 262 of those appearances have come in the Slovenian top flight, though he also boasts 50 Champions League matches to his name, along with another 22 in the Europa League.
In 2022, he officiated the Europa League final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers, before going on to referee the Champions League final two years later. Real Madrid defeated Borussia Dortmund 2–0 at Wembley Stadium with Vinčić as the man in the middle.
He is currently officiating at his second World Cup, with Sunday's final being the sixth match he has overseen across two tournaments and the fourth of this summer. Vinčić has refereed Brazil's 1–1 draw with Morocco, Algeria's 2–1 victory over Jordan, and Mexico's round-of-32 win against Ecuador.
While Vinčić has previously received praise from Real Madrid manager José Mourinho, he drew criticism for his display during Madrid's second-leg defeat to Bayern Munich in last season's Champions League quarterfinals. Jude Bellingham was especially vocal, describing the 46-year-old's decision to dismiss Eduardo Camavinga as a "joke."
2026 World Cup Final Full Refereeing Team
Spain & Argentina's Record With Slavko Vincic
Slovenian official Vinčić has, perhaps unsurprisingly, crossed paths with Spain far more often than Argentina over the course of his career.
He has taken charge of five Spain matches to date, with La Roja remaining unbeaten in all five. Vinčić refereed a 2–2 draw with Colombia in a friendly nine years ago, and was also in charge when a Luis Enrique-managed Spain was held to a goalless draw by Sweden at Euro 2020.
Since then, Spain has defeated Italy in the 2023 UEFA Nations League semifinals and in the Euro 2024 group stage with Vinčić officiating. The Slovenian also took charge of La Roja's semifinal against France at that tournament, which Spain won 2–1.
Sunday's World Cup final will mark Vinčić's second encounter with Argentina. His first was certainly one to remember.
The 46-year-old was on the pitch as Saudi Arabia pulled off one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history at the start of the 2022 tournament in Qatar.