Slovenian Referee Slavko Vinčić to Officiate 2026 World Cup Final

Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić, aged 46, has been appointed to officiate the final match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Vinčić is a highly experienced and respected official within UEFA, having previously refereed major European finals including the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, which ended 2-0 in favor of Real Madrid, and the 2021/22 UEFA Europa League final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers, decided by a penalty shootout victory for the Germans.

Vinčić is also familiar to Israeli football fans, having refereed one of Israel's most memorable recent matches, a 5-4 victory over Italy. Additionally, he officiated two other Israeli national team games: a 1-1 draw against Romania in 2022/23 and a 1-1 draw against Scotland in 2020/21. Beyond international fixtures, Vinčić has refereed club matches involving Israeli teams, including Maccabi Haifa's 3-0 loss to Bodø/Glimt in the 2023/24 Champions League playoffs and a 2-0 defeat to Khazar Lankaran in the 2013/14 Europa League qualifiers.

His selection to manage the World Cup final represents the pinnacle of a referee's career, highlighting his standing in the global football community. The 2026 World Cup final will mark a significant milestone for Vinčić and the refereeing profession.