Slavko Vinčić has officially retired from refereeing just one week after officiating the 2026 World Cup final.
The 46-year-old Slovenian official stepped away at the peak of his career following Spain’s 1-0 extra-time victory over Argentina at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
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The Slovenian Football Association confirmed that Vinčić has officially ended his refereeing career following the World Cup held across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The opening lines of their official statement 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 and Statistics (IFFHS) named him the best referee of the World Cup, and he received the prestigious Giulio Campanati award in Italy.”
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Despite the criticism surrounding the final, Vinčić received significant recognition for his overall performances. He was named World Cup Referee of the Year by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics and received the Giulio Campanati Award from the Italian Referees Association for the tournament’s best referee.
A member of UEFA’s elite referees panel since 2019, Vinčić officiated at Euro 2020 and the Euro 2024 semi-final between Spain and Italy. At the 2026 World Cup, he oversaw four matches, including Brazil’s Group C clash with Morocco and Mexico’s 2-0 round-of-16 victory over Ecuador.
