Slavko Vincic retires after officiating Spain v Argentina World Cup final | OneFootball

Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic, who took charge of the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina on 19 July at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, has retired a few days after the tournament ended.

The Slovenian football federation said in a statement that one week after the showpiece in the United States, Vincic has officially brought an elite refereeing career to a close.

His handling of the final drew criticism for allowing Argentina’s physical approach in the 1-0 defeat after extra time. He sent off Chelsea and Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernández in stoppage time at the end of 90 minutes.

Aged 46, he was recognised as the World Cup’s best referee by the IFFHS and by Italy’s referees’ association, which awards the Giulio Campanati prize every two years to the top official at each World Cup or European Championship.

A UEFA elite referee since 2019, Vincic worked at Euro 2020 and took charge of the 2024 semi-final between Spain and Italy.

This summer he oversaw four World Cup matches, including Brazil’s Group C opener against Morocco and Mexico’s 2-0 win over Ecuador in the last 16. He dismissed Ecuador defender Piero Hincapié for covering his mouth while speaking to a Mexican player, applying the new ‘Ley Prestianni’ introduced before the tournament.

At club level he refereed the 2024 Champions League final, Real Madrid’s 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund. He also handled the 2022 Europa League final, won by Eintracht Frankfurt against Rangers, and had been fourth official the previous year when Villarreal beat Manchester United.

Source: Superdeporte