Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic, who officiated the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, has rejected criticism that Lionel Messi employed underhand tactics during the match. Spain secured their second World Cup title with a 3-1 extra-time victory, with Ferran Torres scoring the decisive goal.
Messi's conduct questioned
Argentina faced scrutiny for their aggressive style in the final. Messi drew attention for attempting to get Spain left-back Marc Cucurella sent off after he briefly spoke with his hand over his mouth, an offence that had earlier led to Paraguay's Miguel Almiron being shown a red card in the tournament.
Vincic, however, was clear in his assessment of the Argentine captain. When asked about his interactions with Messi during the game, the referee stated: 'That conversation will stay on the pitch. But I can confirm that Messi was extremely sportsmanlike.'
Retirement and managing emotions
Vincic announced his retirement after the World Cup. He noted that the primary challenge was handling the players' emotions. 'The biggest challenge was dealing with the emotions of the football players. This is the World Cup final, the mindsets and reactions are different, but given the importance of the match, we have to understand all of that,' he said.
He also emphasised the preparation involved: 'We are trying to study the characteristics of the players, what they do during the break, who commits the most fouls. Of course, it is not possible to prepare completely.'
FIFA charges after brawl
Following the final, FIFA charged Argentina over a post-match brawl. Leandro Paredes and Nahuel Molina, along with Argentina coach Roberto Ayala—who punched Spain midfielder Dani Olmo—were all charged. Vincic reflected on his performance: 'After the final whistle, we were not too much of a problem, which indicates that we generally did an okay job, so I think the refereeing strategy was right.'
