Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić will make history on Sunday 19 July when he takes charge of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ final between Argentina and Spain at New York New Jersey Stadium — becoming the first Slovenian and the 23rd person overall to referee a World Cup final.

The 46-year-old from Maribor learned of his appointment from FIFA Chief Refereeing Officer Pierluigi Collina and admitted the news left him momentarily stunned. "So, first of all, a shock. Then happiness. I was shaking, so it's an incredible honour to get the World Cup final," Vinčić said. "It's something that… it's only a dream for a referee, for a young referee when they start. So, I'm very proud, very proud of myself, my team."

Vinčić also spoke of the pride of representing his country on the sport's grandest stage. "It's very difficult to put everything into words, but I'm very proud to represent my country, Slovenia, in the biggest sporting event in the world," he said. "My team is very proud and we will do our best."

A career built on big occasions

Vinčić arrives at the final with a wealth of experience at the highest level. He has officiated at UEFA EURO 2020, the 2022 UEFA Europa League final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers F.C., and the 2024 UEFA Champions League final between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid. He also handled the UEFA EURO 2024 semi-final between France and Spain before working at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ in the United States.

This is his second FIFA World Cup, having refereed two matches at FIFA World Cup 2022™ in Qatar. At FIFA World Cup 2026™, he has already taken charge of Brazil v. Morocco and Jordan v. Algeria in the group stage, as well as Mexico v. Ecuador in the round of 32.

A team effort, Vinčić insists

The Slovenian was eager to credit assistant referees Tomaž Klančnik and Andraž Kovačič, calling their partnership the foundation of everything he has achieved. "Refereeing is all about teamwork. Without them, without Tomaž and Andraž, this is not possible," he said. "I'm really happy that I have had them throughout my career. We are really good friends, a good team, and thanks to them."

Jordanian Adham Makhadmeh will serve as fourth official for the final, with fellow Jordanian Mohammad Al-Kalaf as reserve assistant referee.

Collina on the selection process

Collina described the referee selection as a lengthy process driven above all by on-field performance. "There are many pieces of the puzzle but they have had to be combined all together to get the picture of the final referee, and it's something that goes through the competition," he said. "The performances are what matter the most. At the end of the day, it's what really matters."

For Collina, announcing the appointments remains one of the tournament's most emotional moments. "This is the third time I've done it in a FIFA World Cup and, again, I always feel the goosebumps when I do that," he said.

Vinčić said his preparation for the final would mirror his approach throughout the tournament — rigorous analysis of both teams, combined with a focus on arriving mentally and physically fresh. "We will do our best so that we will not be a topic after the match," he added.

Officials for the third-place playoff

Venezuela's Jesús Valenzuela has been appointed to referee the third-place playoff between France and England at Miami Stadium, assisted by compatriots Jorge Urrego and Tulio Moreno. Morocco's Jalal Jayed will serve as fourth official, with fellow Moroccan Zakaria Brinsi as reserve assistant referee.

On the VAR front, Uruguay's Leodan González will operate as VAR for the bronze final, supported by American Armando Villarreal as assistant VAR and Spaniard Carlos Del Cerro Grande on support VAR. For Sunday's final, Germany's Bastian Dankert takes the VAR role, assisted by Colombia's Nicolás Gallo, with Qatar's Khamis Al Marri providing additional support.