[Saba Sports News] The Football Association of Slovenia released a statement confirming that 46-year-old Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić has hung up his whistle, bringing an end to his illustrious refereeing career. Most recently, Vinčić took charge of the 2026 World Cup final.
In its statement, the Football Association of Slovenia noted that as the first Slovenian referee to officiate a World Cup final, Vinčić cemented his status as one of the greatest match officials. The final represented the pinnacle of his career. He was named the best referee of the tournament by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) and received Italy’s Giulio Campanati Award. Presented every two years, the honour recognises the top referee at either the FIFA World Cup or the UEFA European Championship.
Records show Vinčić was included on FIFA’s international referee list in 2010 and made his debut as a tournament referee at UEFA Euro 2012. At the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, he officiated two matches, including Saudi Arabia’s stunning 2-1 upset victory over Argentina. At club level, Vinčić took charge of the 2022 UEFA Europa League final and the 2024 UEFA Champions League final. During the 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, Vinčić refereed four fixtures: Brazil 1-1 Morocco and Jordan 1-2 Algeria in the group stage, Mexico 2-0 Ecuador in the round of 32, as well as the final where Spain beat Argentina 1-0.
By retiring immediately after overseeing the World Cup final, Vinčić delivered a legendary career finale: a referee from a small nation reaching the very summit before stepping away at the height of his powers. Despite controversy surrounding his officiating standards in the final, his overall achievements have won widespread recognition from governing bodies and football institutions.