Slavko Vincic, the 46-year-old Slovenian referee, broke down in tears after being appointed to officiate the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina on Sunday. The emotional moment was captured on FIFA footage, showing Vincic putting his head in his hands as the announcement was made.
Emotional Announcement
During a meeting with FIFA officials, Vincic was told he would referee the final. The announcement stated: "Playing with golden stripes is something beautiful. I am sure you agree with me. It's beautiful, it's absolutely great. As well as it's great the referee will be Slavko [Vincic]." Vincic then hugged a colleague and collected his World Cup final shirt with his name on the back.
Tournament Experience
This will be Vincic's fourth match at the 2026 World Cup. He previously officiated group stage games between Brazil and Morocco (1-1) and Jordan and Algeria, as well as the round of 32 clash between Mexico and Ecuador. In that knockout match, he sent off Ecuador defender Piero Hincapie under the anti-discrimination protocol for speaking to an opponent while covering his mouth.
Assistant Referees
Vincic will be assisted by fellow Slovenians Tomaz Klancnik and Andraz Kovacic, with Adham Makhadmeh of Jordan serving as the fourth official.
Previous High-Profile Matches
Vincic has officiated several major matches, including the 2024 UEFA Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium, and the 2022 UEFA Europa League final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers. He also refereed Spain's 1-0 win over Italy in Euro 2024 group stage and Argentina's 2-1 defeat against Saudi Arabia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
According to FIFA, Vincic is considered one of Europe's most experienced officials, having taken charge of numerous high-stakes games across club and international competitions.
