Slavko Vinčić

Slavko Vinčić
Vinčić refereeing the 2026 FIFA World Cup final
Born (1979-11-25) 25 November 1979
Maribor, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia
Domestic
Years League Role
2007–2026 Slovenian PrvaLiga Referee
International
Years League Role
2010–2026 FIFA listed Referee

Slavko Vinčić (born 25 November 1979) is a Slovenian former football referee.[1] He was an international-listed referee for FIFA from 2010 to 2026.[2] In Europe, Vinčić oversaw 72 matches for UEFA, including competitions for both the Champions League and Europa League. He refereed two UEFA European Championships and two FIFA World Cups from 2020 to 2026. Vinčić refereed the 2026 World Cup final.

Career

Vinčić's first major competition was UEFA Euro 2012 where he was one of the two additional assistants in the team of Damir Skomina.

He officiated the 2020–21 Champions League quarterfinal between Porto and Chelsea, and the 2020–21 Europa League semifinal between Arsenal and Villarreal.

Vinčić was selected as a match official for Euro 2020, where he was assigned two group stage matches and the quarterfinals clash between Italy and Belgium.[3]

In 2022, he was selected to officiate the 2022 UEFA Europa League final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers.[4]

On 13 May 2024, Vinčić was selected by UEFA to officiate for the 2024 UEFA Champions League final between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid.[5]

On 24 February 2025, he was the referee for the Turkish Super League fixture at Rams Park between Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray.[6] The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) requested that a foreign official like Vinčić referee the game after local criticism was brought forward by both clubs and Fenerbahçe coach José Mourinho.[6]

In April 2025, Vinčić was selected to officiate at 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in United States.[7] In a goalless draw between River Plate and Monterrey, Vinčić issued nine yellow cards and a red card for Kevin Castaño, who was already on a yellow card.[8]

Vinčić officiated four matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In a match between Mexico and Ecuador, he issued a red card to Piero Hincapié for covering his mouth while talking to an opposing player in a confrontation.[9][10] On 16 July 2026, Vinčić was selected to officiate the 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina.[11] Vinčić is the first Slovenian to referee a World Cup final and was joined by two Slovenian assistant referees.[12] An ESPN analysis found that Vinčić issued three yellow cards per game on average, below the rate found among referees in the previous World Cup.[4] During the final, Vinčic showed six yellow cards and sent off Argentinian player Enzo Fernández for a second bookable offense.[13]

He was named that year's best World Cup referee by the IFFHS.[14] Shortly after the World Cup, Vinčić retired from international refereeing on 26 July 2026.[15][14]

Selected matches

UEFA Euro 2020 – Multiple hosts
DateMatchVenueLocationRoundResultYellow cardsRed cards
14 June 2021 Spain –  SwedenEstadio de La CartujaSevilleGroup stage0–010
20 June 2021  Switzerland –  TurkeyOlympic StadiumBakuGroup stage3–140
2 July 2021 Belgium –  ItalyAllianz ArenaMunichQuarter-finals1–230
2022 FIFA World Cup – Qatar
DateMatchVenueLocationRoundResultYellow cardsRed cards
22 November 2022 Argentina –  Saudi ArabiaLusail StadiumLusailGroup stage1–260
29 November 2022 Wales –  EnglandAhmad bin Ali StadiumAl RayyanGroup stage0–320
UEFA Euro 2024 – Germany
DateMatchVenueLocationRoundResultYellow cardsRed cards
15 June 2024 Hungary –   SwitzerlandRheinEnergieStadionCologneGroup stage1–350
20 June 2024 Spain –  ItalyArena AufSchalkeGelsenkirchenGroup stage1–050
9 July 2024 Spain –  FranceAllianz ArenaMunichSemi finals2–140
2026 FIFA World Cup – Canada / United States / Mexico
DateMatchVenueLocationRoundResultYellow cardsRed cards
13 June 2026 Brazil –  MoroccoMetLife StadiumEast RutherfordGroup stage1–120
22 June 2026 Jordan –  AlgeriaLevi's StadiumSanta ClaraGroup stage1–220
30 June 2026 Mexico –  EcuadorEstadio AztecaMexico CityRound of 322–031
19 July 2026 Spain –  ArgentinaMetLife StadiumEast RutherfordFinal1–071

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Profile". Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  2. ↑ "Slovenia Referees". FIFA. Archived from the original on 19 September 2007.
  3. ↑ "Slavko Vincic named referee for 2026 World Cup final: What's his record with Argentina and Spain?". Bolavip US. 17 July 2026. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Who is Slavko Vincic? Spain vs. Argentina referee for World Cup final drew Real Madrid backlash, Jose Mourinho praise". www.espn.com. 18 July 2026. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  5. ↑ "Referee teams for 2024 UEFA club competition finals announced". UEFA. 13 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  6. 1 2 Garcia, Adriana (21 February 2025). "Fenerbahce-Galatasary to have foreign ref after complaints". www.espn.com. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  7. ↑ "Match officials appointed for landmark FIFA Club World Cup 2025". FIFA. 14 April 2025. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
  8. ↑ "River Plate 0-0 Monterrey: Un empate 'sospechoso' y válido para los dos" (in Spanish). Estadio Deportivo. 21 June 2025. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
  9. ↑ Allen, William (19 July 2026). "Who is Slavko Vincic, the referee for Argentina vs Spain in the 2026 World Cup final?". AS USA. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  10. ↑ Bosher, Luke (1 July 2026). "Arsenal's Piero Hincapie sent off at World Cup for covering mouth in situation of confrontation". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  11. ↑ "The match officials for FIFA World Cup Final have been appointed". x.com. FIFA's official account on X. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  12. ↑ "Slovenian Slavko Vinčić to take charge of FIFA World Cup 2026™ final". inside.fifa.com. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  13. ↑ Stafford, Katie (20 July 2026). "Fernandez sent off as Argentina lose World Cup final". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  14. 1 2 White, Tom (27 July 2026). "World Cup final referee Slavko Vincic retires days after controversial Spain vs Argentina clash". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "Slavko Vincic retires after refereeing World Cup final". www.espn.com. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
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