Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic appointed to officiate 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina

Published Jul 19, 03:45 AM UTC

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Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic, 46, has been appointed to officiate the 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina at MetLife Stadium, making him the first person from Slovenia to referee the world's biggest football match. Vincic, who previously officiated the 2024 Champions League final, received the news with tears of joy at FIFA's referee base in Miami. He will be assisted by fellow Slovenians Tomaz Klancnik and Andraz Kovacic, with German Bastian Dankert as VAR. Vincic has officiated Spain three times (all wins) and Argentina once (their 2022 loss to Saudi Arabia). His appointment is considered unusual given FIFA's historical policy of selecting referees from a different continent than the finalists, but FIFA referees chief Pierluigi Collini holds him in high esteem. This will be Vincic's fourth match of the 2026 tournament and sixth World Cup match overall.

Source

Soccer - The AthleticWestern

Original headline: Who is Slavko Vincic, the referee for Spain vs. Argentina in World Cup final?

Original language: EN

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Slovenian Referee Slavko Vincic Appointed for 2026 World Cup Final

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Spain Argentina Slovenia FIFA MetLife Stadium