World Cup Final Referee Slavko Vinčić Retires
Slavko Vinčić has hung up his whistle. The Football Association of Slovenia has confirmed the news: just one week after taking charge of the 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, Vinčić has officially ended his refereeing career and he's bowing out at the absolute summit of the game.
The IFFHS has already named him the world's best referee off the back of his World Cup performances, and Italy handed him the prestigious Giulio Campanati Award on top of it. Think about the résumé he's walking away from: Euro 2020, the 2022 UEFA Europa League final, the 2024 Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, and now the biggest stage of all a World Cup final.
There is no bigger note to end on. Vinčić didn't fade out, didn't get phased out, didn't limp to the finish line chasing one more assignment. He took the sport's grandest match, delivered, collected the game's top individual honor for it, and left immediately. Football doesn't get many exits this clean. Remember this one it's how it's supposed to be done.
