The Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic has been appointed by FIFA to officiate the 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, which will take place this Sunday at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
It will be Vincic's fourth match in this tournament. The 46-year-old Slovenian had already officiated the Brazil-Morocco and Jordan-Algeria matches in the group stage, as well as the Mexico-Ecuador match in the round of 16.
In that last meeting, the rule known as the "Vinícius-Prestianni law" was applied, which punishes players with a direct red card for covering their mouths when speaking to an opponent. The expulsion fell on the Ecuadorian Piero Hincapié for that reason.
Vincic has been an international referee since 2010, and his appointment makes him the first Slovenian official to oversee a World Cup final.
The referee's history with the two finalists is noticeably uneven. Spain remains unbeaten in the five matches they played under his officiating, including the 2-1 victory over France in the semifinals of Euro 2024.
Argentina, on the other hand, carries a bitter memory: the 2-1 defeat against Saudi Arabia on the opening day of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, also officiated by Vincic, in a match marked by the disallowance of three Argentine goals for offside and a controversial penalty awarded by VAR.
In Qatar 2022, the Slovenian also led Iran to a 2-0 victory over Wales during the group stage.
At the club level, Vincic has an impressive resume: he officiated the 2024 Champions League final, where Real Madrid defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at Wembley.
The officiating body for the final includes his compatriots Tomaž Klančnik and Andraž Kovačič as assistants, while the Jordanian Adham Makhadmeh will serve as the fourth official.
The final is an unprecedented showdown in the history of the World Cups. Spain eliminated France 2-0 on July 14 in Arlington, Texas, with goals from Fabián Ruiz and Merino, while Argentina defeated England 2-1 on July 15 in Atlanta, with goals from Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez.
This is the first time in history that both teams face each other in a World Cup final. Argentina arrives as the defending champion after winning the title in Qatar 2022, while Spain seeks its second star, 16 years after the one conquered in South Africa 2010.
Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino will jointly present the trophy to the champion this Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
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