Everything you should know about Slavko Vinčić, the referee for the World Cup championship match

Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić has been entrusted with the immense responsibility of officiating the 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, a historic appointment that marks him as the first Slovenian to referee a FIFA World Cup final and only the 23rd official to oversee the tournament's most prestigious match.

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This distinction is a testament to Vinčić's exceptional abilities, as he becomes part of an exclusive group of referees who have taken charge of the World Cup final, with his appointment being made by FIFA Chief Refereeing Officer and Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, Pierluigi Collina.

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Vinčić received the news of his appointment in an emotional meeting with Collina, which was captured on video by FIFA, and he described the moment as the realization of a lifelong dream, expressing his feelings as "first of all, a shock, then happiness, and I was shaking" upon learning of his selection.

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The Maribor-born official expressed his immense pride in representing his country, Slovenia, at the biggest sporting event in the world, stating that "it's very difficult to put everything into words, but I'm very proud to represent my country" and acknowledging the support of his team, saying "my team is very proud, and we will do our best".

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Vinčić's World Cup experience is not limited to this tournament, as he made his debut at the 2022 edition in Qatar, where he handled two group-stage matches, and in the 2026 tournament, he has officiated notable matches including Brazil vs Morocco, Algeria vs Jordan, and Mexico vs Ecuador.

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His performances throughout the tournament have been impressive, earning him the responsibility of refereeing the final, and although this will be his first World Cup final, Vinčić is no stranger to high-profile matches, having refereed the 2024 Champions League final and the 2022 UEFA Europa League final.

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In 2024, UEFA appointed him to referee the Champions League final at Wembley, where Real Madrid defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-0, and he also officiated the 2022 UEFA Europa League final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers, making him the second Slovenian referee to handle Europe's biggest club final after Damir Skomina.

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Vinčić emphasized that the honour of refereeing the World Cup final belongs to his officiating team as much as it does to him, saying "refereeing is all about teamwork" and expressing his gratitude to his team members, Tomaž and Andraž, without whom "this is not possible".

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His assistant referees for the final will be Tomaž Klančnik and Andraž Kovačič, while Jordan's Adham Makhadmeh will serve as fourth official and Mohammad Al-Kalaf as reserve assistant referee, forming a cohesive team that will support Vinčić in his historic role.

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According to FIFA's Chief Refereeing Officer, Pierluigi Collina, the appointment of Vinčić followed weeks of assessment, with on-field performances carrying the greatest weight, and Collina stated that "the performances are what matter the most" in making such decisions.

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Collina added that informing referees of their World Cup final appointments remains one of the most emotional parts of the tournament, saying "it's emotional for the referees, but it is very emotional also for me" and admitting that he still gets goosebumps despite it being his third time making such an announcement at a FIFA World Cup.

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As Vinčić prepares for the final, he stated that his approach will remain unchanged, saying "preparation will not change much" and emphasizing the importance of staying focused and being mentally and physically fresh to ensure that the refereeing team does not become a topic of discussion after the match.