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, the official, an international referee since 2010, is considered the best in his country in his field and has vast experience in high-profile matches.

Career and Officiating Crew

His highest point came with 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 take charge of 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 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.

Previous History with Argentina

Vincic has one direct precedent in Argentina’s debut at Qatar 2022, where he officiated La Albiceleste’s 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia. That match marked Argentina’s most recent loss in World Cups. At club level, in 2025 he oversaw the clash between River Plate and Monterrey at 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 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 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 lunch 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 said that the official 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.