Date: 21. July 2026
Time to read: 2 min
In the FIFA World Cup final, Slovenia was represented by one of the world's top football referees, Slavko Vinčić. On 19 July 2026 in New Jersey, Vinčić officiated the final between football powerhouses Argentina and Spain in front of 80,663 spectators and hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide. Spain claimed the world title with a goal scored in extra time.
At the FIFA World Cup, hosted for the first time by three countries, the United States, Mexico and Canada, Slavko Vinčić was appointed to the most prestigious role in football refereeing: officiating the FIFA World Cup final. He became the first Slovenian and only the 23rd match official in history to be entrusted with this honour. Slovenia thus became the smallest country ever to have produced the referee for a World Cup final. Only referees from the United Kingdom, Italy, Argentina and Brazil have officiated the World Cup final on more than one occasion.
Being appointed as the referee for the final was an intensely emotional moment for Vinčić. "So, first of all, a shock. Then happiness. I was shaking, so it’s an incredible honour to get the World Cup final. It’s something that is only a dream for a referee, for a young referee when they start. So, I'm very proud, very proud of myself, my team. First of all, it’s very difficult to put everything into words, but I’m very proud to represent my country, Slovenia, in the biggest sporting event in the world."
Vinčić went on to emphasise that refereeing is a team effort. His officiating team included assistant referees Tomaž Klančnik and Andraž Kovačič who have been working with him throughout his referee career. The Football Association of Slovenia commented on the appointment:
"The selection of the three Slovenian referees for the final of the world's most important football competition is undoubtedly a historic recognition for Slovenian football and its refereeing community."
Pierluigi Collina, FIFA Chief Refereeing Officer, explained that selecting the referee for the World Cup final is a long and demanding process: "The performances are what matters the most. Of course, the matches they refereed before, also the fact that his team is not playing in this competition, but mainly performances. At the end of the day, that is what matters most." The fourth official for the final was Jordainian Adham Makhadmeh, with his compatriot Mohammad Al-Kalaf as the reserve assistant referee.
Vinčić officiated the final with composure under the intense scrutiny of a global audience, and received widespread praise for his performance. The International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) named Vinčić the Best Referee at the 2026 World Cup.
"Across all four of his assignments, Vinčić maintained the clean, authoritative disciplinary control that defines elite officiating. His management of the game was marked by clarity of decision-making, composure under pressure, and a consistent command of the Laws that allowed football to breathe without sacrificing order."
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Slavko Vinčić has extensive experience officiating at the highest levels of international football. Photo: vitaliivitleo/Depositphotos
This is the Slovenian’s second FIFA World Cup as a referee. In addition to officiating the final, he took charge of three other matches during this tournament and two matches at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. His major international competitions also include UEFA EURO 2020 and UEFA EURO 2024, the 2022 UEFA Europa League Final, the 2024 UEFA Champions League Final and the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Vinčić's outstanding performances further strengthened the reputation of Slovenian refereeing on the global football stage. His appointment to officiate the FIFA World Cup final will remain a landmark achievement not only for Slovenian football but for Slovenian sport as a whole.
