The World Cup's Biggest Stage: Slovenia's Historic Moment Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić has been appointed to officiate the 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina. This makes Vinčić the first Slovenian to referee a FIFA World Cup final and only the 23rd official in history to take charge of the tournament's showpiece match.

Who is Slavko Vinčić? Vinčić, 46, is a Maribor-born official who received the news from FIFA Chief Refereeing Officer and Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, Pierluigi Collina, in an emotional meeting captured on video by FIFA. The appointment has been a lifelong dream for Vinčić, who described the moment as a 'shock' and 'happiness'.

'I was shaking,' Vinčić said. 'It's an incredible honour to get the World Cup final. It's only a dream for a referee when they start their career. I'm very proud of myself and my team.'

Vinčić's World Cup Experience This is Vinčić's second FIFA World Cup, having made his debut at the 2022 edition in Qatar, where he handled two group-stage matches. In this year's competition, he has officiated three games: Brazil vs Morocco (Group C), Algeria vs Jordan (Group J), and Mexico vs Ecuador (Round of 32).

Major Finals Under His Belt Before the World Cup final, Vinčić has already officiated high-profile matches, including the 2024 UEFA Champions League final at Wembley, where Real Madrid defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-0. He also refereed the 2022 UEFA Europa League final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers.

A Team Effort Vinčić credits his officiating team for the honour, saying, 'Refereeing is all about teamwork. Without Tomaž and Andraž, this is not possible.' 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.

The Selection Process FIFA's Chief Refereeing Officer Pierluigi Collina explained that the appointment followed weeks of assessment, with on-field performances carrying the greatest weight. 'It's a long process,' Collina said. 'There are many pieces of the puzzle that have to be combined.'

'The performances are what matter the most,' Collina added. 'Of course, the matches they refereed before, and also the fact that his team is not playing in this competition, but mainly performances.'

Preparing for the Final Despite the magnitude of the final, Vinčić's preparation will remain unchanged. 'Preparation will not change much,' Vinčić said. 'We will analyse the teams again, even though we've been following them for more than 40 days. We'll stay focused, try to be mentally fresh and physically fresh, and we'll do our best so that we will not be a topic after the match.'