Slavko Vincic, from 2020 police scandal to Argentina v Spain final | 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 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 Crew

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

History with Argentina

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

The 2020 Police Scandal

Despite his spotless career on the pitch, in 2020 he was arrested by police in Bijeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Authorities investigated him for 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 because he was sharing a lunch table with Tijana Maksimovic, identified as the alleged leader of the criminal network.

Defense and Backing

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, describing the incident as a simple misunderstanding. The institution stated that 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.