Vinčić Gets the Final — The First Slovenian Ever
Available in USFIFA has handed the biggest match in football to **Slavko Vinčić**, 46, of Maribor — **the first Slovenian ever** and only the **23rd person in history** to referee a World Cup final. He’s officiated one Argentina match in his career. It ended their last unbeaten run.
The last appointment of the tournament landed on 17 July: Slavko Vinčić will referee Spain v Argentina at MetLife, with Jesús Valenzuela of Venezuela taking the bronze final. Vinčić was told by Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s chief refereeing officer. Here’s who he is, his history with both finalists, and — the bit that matters to punters — what it’s actually worth.
The appointment
| Role | Final (19 Jul) | 3rd place (18 Jul) |
|---|---|---|
| Referee | Slavko Vinčić (Slovenia) | Jesús Valenzuela (Venezuela) |
| Assistants | Tomaž Klančnik, Andraž Kovačič (SVN) | Jorge Urrego, Tulio Moreno (VEN) |
| Fourth official | Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan) | Jalal Jayed (Morocco) |
| VAR | Bastian Dankert (Germany) | — |
| Assistant VAR | Nicolás Gallo (Colombia) | — |
Source: FIFA (inside.fifa.com), 17 Jul 2026. Vinčić’s crew is Slovenian; the video team is German and Colombian.
Who he is
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Age / home | 46, from Maribor |
| Milestone | First Slovenian to referee a World Cup final; 23rd in history |
| Big finals | 2024 Champions League final (Real Madrid v Dortmund); 2022 Europa League final |
| This tournament | Reported as his fourth assignment, after Brazil v Morocco and Jordan v Algeria |
The tournament-assignment count comes from a single outlet — treat it as indicative. The Champions League and Europa League finals are the relevant credential: this is a referee FIFA and UEFA give the biggest games to.
"So, first of all, a shock. Then happiness. I was shaking, so it’s an incredible honour to get the World Cup final." — Slavko Vinčić (FIFA, 17 Jul 2026)
"Refereeing is all about teamwork. So, without them, without Tomaž and Andraž, this is not possible." — Slavko Vinčić, on his assistants (FIFA, 17 Jul 2026)
His history with the finalists
| Team | Record under Vinčić |
|---|---|
| Argentina | Exactly one match: Argentina 1-2 Saudi Arabia, 2022 group stage |
| Spain | Spain 1-0 Italy, Euro 2024 group stage |
That one Argentina match is not a small one. It was the 2022 shock in Qatar — Argentina’s only defeat under him, and the result that ended their 36-match unbeaten run. Vinčić awarded Argentina a disputed 10th-minute penalty on VAR review (a shirt-pull on Paredes) which Messi scored, and showed six yellow cards to Saudi players and none to Argentina. Argentina, of course, went on to win that World Cup anyway.
About the online noise
The appointment landed amid online criticism of Argentina’s route to the final, under the tag "VARgentina". It’s worth being precise about what that is and isn’t.
The irony is that the one Vinčić–Argentina data point cuts the other way: he refereed the match that produced the biggest upset of Argentina’s 2022 campaign, and their only loss under him.
What it’s worth to punters: honestly, very little
Referee angles are a real thing in card and penalty markets. This one isn’t — and it’s worth saying so plainly.
| The temptation | The reality |
|---|---|
| “Six yellows to Saudi, none to Argentina — he’s card-happy” | One match, four years ago, in a game with a specific pattern of fouls |
| “He gave Argentina a soft VAR pen” | He also sent them to their only defeat under him |
| “Slovenian ref = anti-/pro-something” | He’s neutral, and FIFA gave him the 2024 Champions League final |
The read: two data points across two teams is not a sample. If you’re betting cards or penalties in the final, price the teams — Spain have conceded one goal in seven matches and don’t foul in dangerous areas; Argentina have played 60 minutes of extra time and are the more physical side. That tells you far more than the man with the whistle.
- Slavko Vinčić (Slovenia), 46, referees the final — the first Slovenian ever, 23rd in history.
- His crew is Slovenian; Bastian Dankert (Germany) is on VAR. Jesús Valenzuela takes the bronze final.
- Credentials: the 2024 Champions League final and the 2022 Europa League final.
- He has refereed Argentina once: the 2022 Saudi Arabia shock that ended their 36-match unbeaten run.
- The “VARgentina” chatter is online framing — no federation has lodged any complaint.
More: the final odds & preview, the bronze final preview, the semi-final recap and the Argentina team page.
