FIFA has appointed Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić to officiate the 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey.
Vinčić will be assisted by fellow Slovenians Tomaž Klančnik and Andraž Kovačič, while Jordan’s Adham Makhadmeh will serve as the fourth official.
Reacting to the appointment, an emotional Vinčić described the opportunity as the fulfilment of a lifelong dream.
“First of all, a shock. Then happiness. I was shaking. It’s an incredible honour to referee the World Cup final. I’m very proud to represent Slovenia at the biggest sporting event in the world,” he said.
The experienced official has been on FIFA’s international referees list since 2010 and has overseen several high-profile matches, including the 2022 UEFA Europa League final and the 2024 UEFA Champions League final.
During the 2026 World Cup, Vinčić has handled five matches, issuing an average of three yellow cards per game. He also sent off Ecuador defender Piero Hincapié after a VAR review during Ecuador’s Round of 32 defeat to Mexico.
Vinčić’s career has not been without controversy. He faced criticism from Real Madrid following their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal loss to Bayern Munich after midfielder Eduardo Camavinga was sent off. Jude Bellingham labelled the decision “a joke,” while then-Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa questioned the referee’s judgment.
However, current Real Madrid manager José Mourinho previously praised Vinčić after refereeing the Turkish derby between Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe in 2025, describing his display as “a top performance.”
Historically, Spain have never lost in the four matches officiated by Vinčić, while his only previous Argentina match was their shock 3-2 defeat to Saudi Arabia at the 2022 FIFA World Cup before Lionel Scaloni’s side recovered to win the tournament.
England and France Prepare for Third-Place Playoff
Meanwhile, England and France will meet on Saturday in the World Cup third-place playoff after both nations suffered semifinal defeats.
England were eliminated by Argentina despite taking the lead through Anthony Gordon. Enzo Fernández equalised before Lautaro Martínez scored a stoppage-time winner to send the defending champions into the final.
France, on the other hand, were comfortably beaten by Spain, with Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro inspiring La Roja to their first World Cup final since 2010.
Despite England’s semifinal exit, reports indicate that head coach Thomas Tuchel retains the full backing of the Football Association.
Spain head into Sunday’s final with an impressive defensive record, having conceded just one goal throughout the tournament while keeping six clean sheets, the most by any team in a single World Cup campaign. Visit www.jocomms.com for more news.
