Slavko Vincic: from a 2020 police scandal to Argentina v Spain | OneFootball

Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic will officiate the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain this Sunday at 4 p.m. at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. At 46 years old, the official, an international referee since 2010, is considered the best in his country in the field and has vast experience in high-profile matches.

Career and Officiating Team

His high point was the 2024 Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, in addition to the 2023 Nations League semifinal between Spain and Italy. On Sunday, he will work his sixth World Cup match after officiating Wales-England in 2022, and in this edition Brazil-Morocco, Jordan-Algeria and Mexico-Ecuador, handing out 15 yellow cards and one red. His compatriots Tomaz Klancnik and Andraz Kovacic will be the assistant referees, while Jordanian Adham Makhadmeh will serve as fourth official. FIFA released an emotional video of the moment of the appointment, in which Vincic broke down in tears when he heard his name in front of his colleagues.

History with Argentina

Vincic has a direct precedent in Qatar 2022’s opening match, where he officiated Argentina’s 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia. That match marked Argentina’s most recent loss in World Cups. At club level, in 2025 he officiated the clash between River Plate and Monterrey in the Club World Cup. In that match, the referee sent off Colombian midfielder Kevin Castaño.

The 2020 Police Scandal

Despite his spotless career on the field, in 2020 he was arrested by police in Bijeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Authorities investigated him over alleged links to a prostitution, drugs and weapons ring.

During the operation, police raided a cabin and seized 14 packages of cocaine, 10 firearms, three bulletproof vests and more than 10,000 euros, detaining 26 men and nine women. The referee became implicated for sharing a lunch table with Tijana Maksimovic, identified as the alleged leader of the criminal network.

Defense and Support

Vincic denied any connection to the crimes, arguing that he had accepted an invitation to eat with acquaintances. The referee told the media that being seated there was the biggest mistake of his life. The Slovenian Football Federation publicly backed him, calling the incident a simple misunderstanding. The institution said the referee was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.