Overview
- FIFA confirmed on July 19, 2026 that Slavko Vinčić will be the on-field referee for the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
- Vinčić has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2010 and has overseen many elite matches, including the 2022 Europa League final and the 2024 Champions League final.
- He is known for a calm style and a relatively low yellow-card average in major tournaments but has also issued notable decisions this World Cup, including a red card shown to Ecuador’s Piero Hincapié.
- In 2020 Vinčić was detained and questioned during a police operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina but he was released and never charged, a fact that has resurfaced in coverage of his appointment.
- Vinčić will be supported by Slovenian assistants Tomaž Klančnik and Andraž Kovačič and a multinational VAR team operating on-site in New Jersey, a setup that places every on-field call and video review under heightened public attention.