Slavko Vincic, the referee who officiated the recent World Cup final, has announced his retirement just a week after the tournament’s conclusion.
The Slovenian official faced widespread criticism for his handling of Argentina’s physical approach during their 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain, a match in which he sent off Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez in stoppage time.
Following Ferran Torres’s extra-time winner, the aftermath of the match was marred by ugly scenes as Spain and Argentina players clashed on the pitch.
Fifa is investigating the post-match scenes which included Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes throwing Gavi to the ground, although the Spanish star has revealed he does not want Paredes to be handed a suspension.
Confirming Vincic’s departure, the Slovenian Football Association released a statement saying: ”A week after the World Cup final in the USA, Slavko Vincic officially concluded his historic refereeing career at the top of the world.”
Despite the recent controversy, Vincic, 46, has a distinguished career, having been named the World Cup’s best referee by both the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) and the Association of Italian Referees (AIA), which bestows the biennial Giulio Campanati Award.
A member of Uefa’s elite group of referees since 2019, Vincic officiated at Euro 2020 and took charge of the 2024 semi-final between Spain and France.
At this summer’s World Cup, he oversaw four matches, including Brazil’s Group C opener against Morocco and Mexico’s 2-0 victory over Ecuador in the last 16, where he controversially dismissed Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie for covering his mouth under a newly introduced rule.
At club level, Vincic refereed the 2024 Champions League final, which saw Real Madrid secure their 15th title against Borussia Dortmund.
He also presided over the 2022 Europa League final, where Rangers were beaten by Eintracht Frankfurt, and served as fourth official for the 2021 final when Manchester United lost on penalties to Villarreal.
He was also notably appointed for the 2025 Turkish Super Lig fixture between Galatasaray and Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce, a historic selection as he became the first foreign official to take charge of the fixture following requests from both clubs.
