The Referee Who Oversaw Argentina's Loss to Saudi Arabia Will Umpire the Final Against Spain
The FIFA has appointed Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic to officiate the World Cup final in the MetLife Stadium. At 46 years old, Vincic is one of the most prestigious referees in Europe and FIFA.
Spain, Invicta; Argentina Has a Bad Memory
Since 2010, Vincic has built an impressive track record. He has directed over fifty Champions League matches and also officiated the 2022 Europa League final between the Eintracht Frankfurt and the Rangers.
This will be his second World Cup final. After participating in Qatar 2022, where he directed two games, Vincic has already officiated three matches before receiving the responsibility of the final.
The record with both finalists is noteworthy. Spain remains unbeaten under Vincic's whistle. He has directed five national team matches, including a 2-1 victory over France in the Eurocopa 2024 semifinals and a draw against Sweden in the Eurocopa 2020.
On the other hand, Argentina only crossed paths with Vincic once. It was at the debut of the Qatar 2022 World Cup when the Albiceleste lost 1-2 to Saudi Arabia. On that day, Vincic signaled a penalty via VAR after an arm pull on Leandro Paredes, allowing Lionel Messi to put Argentina ahead.
Another interesting detail is that, despite his extensive career in the Champions League, Vincic has never officiated Lionel Messi in a club match. Neither during his time at Barcelona nor later with Paris Saint-Germain did they meet in European competition.
Now he will have the responsibility of directing a historic final between two teams that are coming off strong performances into the last game of the tournament. Spain aims to win its second World Cup, while Argentina seeks to defend the title won in Qatar. The ball will roll on Sunday at 21:00 (Spanish Peninsula time) and all eyes will be on the FIFA-appointed referee for this great night in football.
