The International Football Federation (FIFA) has announced the appointment of Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić to officiate the 2026 World Cup final, which pits Spain against Argentina the day after tomorrow, Sunday, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Vinčić will be assisted by the duo Tomaž Klančnik and Andraž Kovačič.

An Arab duo is also part of the officiating team for the final, with Jordanian referee Adham Makhadmeh serving as the fourth official, while his compatriot Mohammad Al-Kalaf will be the reserve assistant referee.

The match officials for @FIFAWorldCup Final have been appointed. 🤝

— FIFA (@FIFAcom) July 16, 2026

Vinčić will become the first Slovenian referee in history to officiate a World Cup final, and the 23rd referee to take charge of the final in the tournament's history.

Vinčić, born on November 25, 1979, is considered one of the most prominent and highly regarded European referees within the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).

This will be the fourth match he officiates in the current edition of the World Cup, after handling the matches between Brazil and Morocco, Algeria and Jordan, and then Mexico and Ecuador.

The Camavinga sending-off incident

The Slovenian referee was at the center of a controversial incident last season when he showed a red card to Frenchman Eduardo Camavinga, a Real Madrid player, during the match against Bayern Munich in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals last April.

Vinčić gave Camavinga a second yellow card for delaying the restart of play, a decision many considered harsh at a critical moment. The situation turned against Real Madrid after this decision, and the royal club was eliminated from the tournament.

Álvaro Arbeloa, then Real Madrid coach, attacked the Slovenian referee, stating that the decision 'ruined the match'.