Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić has an extraordinary story with the Argentine national team, after FIFA selected him to officiate the 2026 World Cup final between Argentina and Spain.

Vinčić's name returns to the spotlight because he was the referee who officiated the historic match between Saudi Arabia and Argentina in the opening of the 2022 World Cup, when the Green achieved a historic 2-1 victory, a match that marked Argentina's last loss in the World Cup until they reached the 2026 final.

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Since that night, the Argentine national team has not tasted defeat in the World Cup, before Vinčić himself returns to lead the most important match in world football, in a striking World Cup coincidence. The Slovenian referee is 46 years old, has held the international badge since 2010, and is the first referee from Slovenia to have the honor of officiating a World Cup final. Vinčić is known for his calm personality, closeness to players, giving priority to letting play continue whenever possible, in addition to his strong presence in big matches, which has earned him the confidence of both UEFA and FIFA, having previously officiated the Champions League final and a number of prominent continental and international matches. Now, the referee who witnessed Argentina's last defeat in the World Cup returns to lead the match that could see them crowned world champion again... or see Spain crowned as world champions.