Monday 27 / July / 2026
Madrid: Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić has announced his retirement from officiating, just one week after taking charge of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
The 46-year-old's final assignment drew widespread scrutiny, with critics accusing him of being too lenient toward Argentina's physical approach in the final, which Spain won 1-0 after extra time. Vinčić issued a late red card to Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernández during second-half stoppage time.
The Slovenian Football Association confirmed that Vinčić has officially ended his refereeing career following the World Cup held across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Despite the criticism surrounding the final, Vinčić received significant recognition for his overall performances. He was named World Cup Referee of the Year by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics and received the Giulio Campanati Award from the Italian Referees Association for the tournament's best referee.
A member of UEFA's elite referees panel since 2019, Vinčić officiated at Euro 2020 and the Euro 2024 semi-final between Spain and Italy. At the 2026 World Cup, he oversaw four matches, including Brazil's Group C clash with Morocco and Mexico's 2-0 round-of-16 victory over Ecuador.
His distinguished career also included refereeing the 2024 UEFA Champions League final, where Real Madrid defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-0 to claim a record 15th European title, and the 2022 UEFA Europa League final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers.
He served as fourth official in the 2021 Europa League final and, in 2025, became the first foreign referee appointed to officiate the Turkish league derby between Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe at the request of both clubs.
