Overview
- FIFA announced Sunday that Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić will take charge of the July 19 final between Spain and Argentina at MetLife Stadium.
- The full officiating team published by FIFA lists compatriot assistants Tomaz Klancnik and Andraz Kovacic, fourth official Adham Makhadmeh, VAR Bastian Dankert, and assistant VARs Nicolas Gallo and Khamis Al Marri.
- Vinčić has held a FIFA badge since 2010 and has refereed major European finals including the 2022 Europa League final and the 2024 Champions League final, plus matches at Euro tournaments and the 2022 World Cup.
- His record includes several contested calls that drew attention, such as a seventh‑minute penalty awarded to Argentina in their 2022 opener and red cards shown to Eduardo Camavinga and Ronald Araujo in high‑profile club ties.
- Reports note Vinčić was briefly detained in a May 2020 Bosnian police operation but was questioned only as a witness, faced no charges, and investigators found no evidence linking him to criminal activity; his performance in the final is expected to draw close media and fan scrutiny.