FIFA has appointed Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić to officiate Sunday’s World Cup final between Spain and defending champions Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium, making him the 23rd official in history, and the first Slovenian, to referee a World Cup final.
Vinčić, 46, will be assisted by fellow Slovenians Tomaž Klančnik and Andraž Kovačič, with Jordan’s Adham Makhadmeh as fourth official. This marks his fourth match of the tournament, following two group-stage games and a Round of 32 clash in which he sent off Ecuador’s Piero Hincapié under FIFA’s anti-discrimination protocol.
The appointment continues a pattern of European referees for Argentina’s finals. Vinčić previously oversaw Argentina’s shock 2022 opening defeat to Saudi Arabia and Spain’s Euro 2024 semi-final win over France. FIFA has faced criticism this tournament over officiating decisions seen as favouring Argentina, including a challenge by Lionel Messi that went unpunished.
Kickoff is at 3:00 pm local time on Sunday. Venezuela’s Jesús Valenzuela will officiate the earlier third-place playoff between France and England.
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