Slavko Vinčić of Slovenia will referee the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain on Sunday, two years after he took charge of a Champions League final.
FIFA announced the pick on Thursday to mark the second straight World Cup final where Argentina, now the defending champion, will face a European opponent under a European referee.
FIFA has faced criticism during the current World Cup for appearing to give benefit of some refereeing decisions to Argentina, including when Lionel Messi escaped a red card for a rough challenge on an Algeria opponent, with the coaches of Egypt and South Africa claiming inconsistencies.
After Egypt formally alleged bias in decisions during its 3-2 loss to Argentina, FIFA director of referees Pierluigi Collina said, “Nobody can question the integrity of FIFA World Cup match officials.”
In his three games so far at the 2026 World Cup, Vinčić has shown seven yellow cards and one red card, and awarded no penalty kicks. In his most recent game, in the round of 32 more than two weeks ago, Vinčić sent off Ecuador’s Piero Hincapie after a video review for covering his mouth in a confrontation with a Mexico opponent.
He also worked two group-stage games, when Brazil and Morocco drew 1-1 and Algeria beat Jordan 2-1.
However, the appointment has also drawn attention to an unusual episode in Vinčić’s past. In May 2020, police detained him along with 34 other people during a raid on a farm in the Bosnian city of Bijeljina, where authorities were working to dismantle a drug trafficking and prostitution ring.
Officers seized weapons, packages of cocaine and large amounts of cash at the scene.
According to Vinčić, he was in Bosnia and Herzegovina on business and accepted an invitation to lunch there without knowing the character of his hosts.
“I ended up at that farm by chance. I have my own company and was in Bosnia and Herzegovina for a business meeting, and I accepted an invitation to lunch, which turned out to be my biggest mistake. I regret it. I was sitting at the table with my company, the police arrived, and what happened, happened. They took us to the police station, asked for statements as witnesses, and when they found out we didn’t even know them, we were allowed to leave,” Vinčić said in an interview with a Slovenian newspaper at that time.
Police released the referee without any formal charges, and Slovenia’s referees association gave him its full support.
