Slavko Vinčić, the Slovenian referee who took charge of the 2026 World Cup final, has retired from professional officiating just a week after the biggest match of his career, the Slovenian Football Association has confirmed.
Vinčić, 46, was the man in the middle when Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on July 19, sealing the tournament in the United States.
The final was not without controversy. Vinčić sent off Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernández in stoppage time at the end of normal time for two bookable offences, a decision that fed into a bad-tempered finish to the match involving several Argentina players, including Leandro Paredes.
Despite the criticism that followed his handling of a fractious final, Vinčić still leaves the game garlanded. The International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) named him the World Cup's outstanding referee, and Italy's referees' association, the AIA, gave him its Giulio Campanati award.
"One week after the World Cup final in the USA, Slavko Vinčić officially concluded his historic refereeing career at the top of the world," the Slovenian Football Association said in a statement announcing his retirement.
Vinčić had been one of UEFA's elite-listed referees since 2019 and built a résumé few of his peers can match. He took charge of the 2024 Champions League final, when Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 to lift a 15th European Cup, and the 2022 Europa League final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers.
He also officiated at Euro 2020 and reached the semi-final stage again at Euro 2024, cementing his reputation as one of the continent's most trusted whistlers for the biggest occasions.
At this World Cup, Vinčić took charge of four matches in total, including Mexico's 2-0 round-of-32 win over Ecuador, where he sent off Ecuador defender Piero Hincapié under FIFA's newly introduced rule mandating a red card for covering the mouth during a confrontation with an opponent.
That willingness to apply the letter of the law was ultimately what defined his final assignment as well, and now marks the last chapter of a career that made him the first Slovenian referee to take charge of a World Cup final.
