Slavko Vincic retires from refereeing after World Cup final

Slavko Vincic has announced his retirement from refereeing, just over a week after officiating the World Cup final.

The Slovenian referee oversaw the contentious match at the MetLife Stadium, where Spain secured their second world title with a 1-0 victory over Argentina after extra time.

However, Vincic faced criticism for allowing the 2022 champions' physical style to persist throughout the match.

Enzo Fernandez received a red card towards the end of normal time for a second yellow, and the final descended into chaos at full time.

A mass brawl erupted when Argentina's players became involved in a series of altercations after the final whistle.

Leandro Paredes threw punches at Spain's Gavi and Eric Garcia but somehow avoided a red card, with the BBC reporting that his initial sending off had later been rescinded.

This incident followed Nahuel Molina seemingly igniting the large scuffle by throwing a punch at Manchester City star Rodri.

The aftermath of the World Cup final continues, with FIFA poised to launch an investigation into the chaotic scenes at full time amid widespread criticism directed at Argentina.

In light of these events, Vincic has now retired as a football referee, marking the New Jersey clash as his final game.

A statement from the Slovenian FA read: “One week after the World Cup final in the USA, Slavko Vinčić officially concluded his historic refereeing career at the very top of the world.

“The Maribor native became the first Slovenian head referee to officiate the grand final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, confirming his status as one of the greatest officials in history.

“As the crowning achievement of his farewell season, the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) named him the best referee of the World Cup, and he received the prestigious Giulio Campanati award in Italy.”

The Slovenian FA's statement continued to highlight Vincic’s significant achievements as a referee.

This included being selected by FIFA to officiate the World Cup final, making him the first-ever Slovenian to preside over football's biggest match.

Upon learning he would be refereeing the monumental clash, Vincic was moved to tears, describing it as an 'incredible honour'.

In addition to the World Cup final, the 46-year-old also officiated three Europa League finals, including the 2022 encounter between Rangers and Eintracht Frankfurt.

In 2024, he took charge of the Champions League final, which saw Real Madrid triumph over Borussia Dortmund.

Vincic had numerous major tournament experiences throughout his career, making his World Cup debut in 2022 and refereeing at Euro 2020 and Euro 2024.

He officiated four World Cup matches in North America this summer and made headlines in the last-32.

Vincic issued his first-ever major tournament red card when Ecuador faced co-hosts Mexico, sending off Arsenal's Piero Hincapie for covering his mouth while speaking to Santiago Gimenez under the new FIFA regulations.

However, the Slovenian chose not to apply the same punishment in the World Cup final, after Lionel Messi attempted to get Marc Cucurella sent off for a similar action, with the Spain left-back escaping any sanction.

Messi faced criticism for his actions, while Vincic's officiating angered Spain's supporters, who directed chants at FIFA president Gianni Infantino, accusing him of bias towards Argentina after he did not penalise some strong challenges from the South Americans.

Source: talkSPORT