Slavko Vincic Appointed for World Cup Final Amidst Past Controversies

FIFA has announced that Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic will take charge of the highly anticipated World Cup final between Argentina and Spain. The appointment was revealed during an event with the remaining referees in the United States, where Vincic appeared emotional upon hearing his name called by FIFA’s Director of Refereeing, Pierluigi Collina.

Vincic, widely regarded as one of Europe’s top referees, will be assisted by a team of fellow Slovenians. The fourth official will be Adham Makhadmeh of Jordan. Notably, the VAR team will include German Bastian Dankert, with Nicolás Gallo overseeing the system, and Tatiana Guzmán of Nicaragua serving as the reserve VAR official.

Controversial Appointments and Club History

The selection of Vincic has sparked discussion due to his past officiating record, particularly concerning Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona. Pierluigi Collina’s choice of a referee from the same nation as UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin is also being noted, particularly in light of perceived tensions between FIFA President Gianni Infantino and European football’s governing body.

For Spain, this will be Vincic’s sixth match. Their record under his officiating is undefeated, with three wins and two draws. His most recent assignment for Spain was the Euro 2026 semi-final against France, which Spain won 2-1. Earlier in that tournament, he officiated Spain’s 1-0 group stage victory over Italy.

Argentina’s history with Vincic is less favorable, with their only previous encounter resulting in a defeat. This was their World Cup loss to Saudi Arabia in Qatar, which ended 1-2.

Real Madrid’s Complaints

Vincic has drawn significant criticism from Real Madrid in the past. He was the referee for the Champions League quarter-final second leg between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid at the Allianz Arena. The match was marred by the controversial expulsion of Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga for a second yellow card, a decision that led to a formal complaint from the Spanish club to UEFA.

Barcelona also has a recent memory of controversy involving Vincic. He was assigned to the 2022-2023 Champions League group stage match between Inter Milan and Barcelona, which Barcelona lost 1-0. The officiating in that game, particularly the decision not to award Barcelona a penalty for a handball by Inter’s Denzel Dumfries in the 92nd minute, was heavily disputed. The handball prevented Ansu Fati from potentially getting a shot away. The VAR official for that match was Pol van Boekel.

Key Facts

The appointment of Slavko Vincic for the World Cup final introduces an element of intrigue, given his past officiating decisions that have led to strong reactions from major football clubs. Fans and analysts will be closely watching his performance in this high-stakes encounter between Argentina and Spain.

Source: Mundo Deportivo Futbol – https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/mundial/20260717/1004207306/slavko-vincic-guino-collina-ceferin-mal-recuerdo-barca-madrid.html