FIFA has appointed Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic to officiate the FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. He will be assisted by fellow Slovenians Tomaz Klancnik and Andraz Kovacic, while Adham Makhadmeh will serve as the fourth official and Mohammad Alkalaf as the reserve assistant referee.
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Reacting to the appointment, Vincic described the moment as an emotional and unforgettable achievement in his career. He said he was initially shocked before feeling immense happiness, adding that officiating a World Cup final represents the ultimate dream for any referee. He also expressed pride in both himself and the officiating team that will oversee football’s biggest match.
Vincic has built a strong reputation as one of Europe’s leading football referees through years of officiating major international competitions. He previously handled the 2024 UEFA Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley and has also worked at two UEFA European Championships. His experience includes Spain’s Euro 2024 semi-final victory over France during their successful title-winning campaign.
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The 46-year-old official made his FIFA World Cup debut during the 2022 tournament in Qatar, where he oversaw Argentina’s opening match against Saudi Arabia. That unexpected defeat remains a memorable moment for Argentine supporters, leading some fans to view his latest appointment with caution. However, Argentina recovered from that setback and eventually won its third World Cup title under Lionel Messi’s leadership.
Sunday’s final between Argentina and Spain will mark Vincic’s sixth World Cup match as a referee, further highlighting FIFA’s confidence in his abilities on the biggest stage. The highly anticipated showdown will kick off at 3 p.m. ET (19:00 GMT) in East Rutherford, where both teams will compete for football’s most prestigious trophy under the watch of one of Europe’s most experienced officials.