Overview
- Slavko Vincic refereed the 2026 World Cup final between Argentina and Spain and issued the decisive second-yellow red to Enzo Fernández for a foul on Pau Cubarsí.
- The Slovenian Football Federation announced Vincic’s retirement shortly after the final and he spoke publicly for the first time in an interview published two days after that announcement.
- Vincic defended his and his assistants’ match strategy and said the lack of widespread postgame criticism showed the team had done its job.
- Asked about a notable on-field conversation with Lionel Messi, Vincic declined to reveal details but said Messi behaved with sportsmanship.
- Vincic strongly endorsed VAR as essential for modern elite games, saying video review has corrected errors and that most outcomes have been positive since its introduction.