Meet Slavko Vinčić, the Referee for the World Cup Final

Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić will take the spotlight in football this Sunday. FIFA has picked him to officiate the 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina.

This makes the 46-year-old the first Slovenian to referee a FIFA World Cup final. He is also the 23rd official in history to oversee this important match.

All about Slavko Vinčić
Vinčić learned about his appointment from Pierluigi Collina, FIFA's Chief Refereeing Officer. This emotional moment was recorded by FIFA.
After hearing the news, the Maribor-born referee called it a dream come true.
"First of all, a shock. Then happiness. I was shaking. It’s an incredible honour to get the World Cup final.
"It’s only a dream for a referee when they start their career. I’m very proud of myself and my team.
"It’s very difficult to put everything into words, but I’m very proud to represent my country, Slovenia, at the biggest sporting event in the world. My team is very proud, and we will do our best."

His World Cup Journey
The 2026 World Cup will be Vinčić’s second time at this event. He made his debut at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he officiated two group-stage matches.

During this year's tournament, he has been the referee for:

• Brazil vs Morocco (Group C)
• Algeria vs Jordan (Group J)
• Mexico vs Ecuador (Round of 32)

His strong performances led to his selection for the final.

Experience with Major Finals
This will be Vinčić's first World Cup final, but he is used to big matches.
In 2024, UEFA appointed him to referee the Champions League final at Wembley. There, Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0.
He also officiated the 2022 UEFA Europa League final, where Eintracht Frankfurt faced Rangers.
This Champions League appointment made him only the second Slovenian, after Damir Skomina, to referee Europe’s biggest club final.

A Team Effort
Vinčić believes this honour belongs to his officiating team too.
"Refereeing is all about teamwork. Without them, without Tomaž and Andraž, this is not possible.
"I’m really happy that I’ve had them throughout my career. We are really good friends, a good team, and thanks to them."

His assistant referees for the final will be Tomaž Klančnik and Andraž Kovačič. Jordan’s Adham Makhadmeh will be the fourth official, while Mohammad Al-Kalaf will serve as reserve assistant referee.

Why FIFA Chose Vinčić
FIFA’s Chief Refereeing Officer, Pierluigi Collina, said the choice came after weeks of evaluation. He noted that on-field performances were the main focus.
"It’s a long process. There are many pieces of the puzzle that have to be combined.
"The performances are what matter the most. Of course, the matches they refereed before, and also the fact that his team is not playing in this competition, but mainly performances. At the end of the day, that’s what really matters."

Collina added that telling referees about their World Cup final appointments is very emotional.
"It’s emotional for the referees, but it is very emotional also for me. This is the third time I’ve done it at a FIFA World Cup, and I still get goosebumps."

Preparing for the Final
Even with the importance of Sunday’s game, Vinčić said his preparation would stay the same.
"Preparation will not change much. We will analyse the teams again, even though we’ve been following them for more than 40 days.
"We’ll stay focused, try to be mentally fresh and physically fresh, and we’ll do our best so that we will not be a topic after the match."