The final between Argentina and Spain on Sunday will be refereed by Slavko Vin膷i膰 of Slovenia, two years after he was in charge of a
FIFA announced the pick late Thursday. It’s the where Argentina, now the defending champion, will have a European referee to face a European opponent.
FIFA has faced for Argentina seeming to get the benefit of some refereeing decisions 鈥� including when soccer great Lionel Messi escaped a red card for a rough challenge on an Algeria opponent 鈥� with the coaches of Egypt and South Africa claiming inconsistencies.
After in decisions during its 3-2 loss to Argentina, FIFA director of referees Pierluigi Collina said: 鈥淣obody can question the integrity of the FIFA World Cup match officials.鈥�
In his three games so far at the 2026 World Cup, Vin膷i膰 has shown seven yellow cards and one red card, and awarded no penalty kicks.
In the most recent of his games, in the round of 32 more than two weeks ago, Vin膷i膰 after a video review for covering his mouth in a confrontation with a Mexico opponent.
Vin膷i膰 also worked two group-stage games, when Brazil and Morocco drew 1-1 and Algeria beat Jordan 2-1.
Bayern-Madrid epic
In the last European club season, Vin膷i膰鈥檚 biggest match was over Real Madrid in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
Vin膷i膰 showed yellow cards to five Madrid players, and second yellows to Eduardo Camavinga for timewasting and Arda Guler for dissent to send them off late in the game.
Those were among just three red cards that Vin膷i膰 showed in nine Champions League games and he awarded just two penalties.
The 46-year-old Slovenian refereed Madrid鈥檚 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the 2024 Champions League final.
The Slovenia link
FIFA鈥檚 pick of Vin膷i膰 surprised some observers given ongoing tensions between its president Gianni Infantino and UEFA, led by Slovenian lawyer Aleksander Ceferin, who should attend the final at East Rutherford, New Jersey.
in suspending a mandatory one-game ban for United States forward Folarin Balogun to let him face Belgium in the round of 16, and called the decision 鈥渦nprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable.鈥�
On day four of the World Cup, some soccer federations published a letter during a FIFA-hosted conference in Miami for a reported comment made days before the tournament in Slovenia about the expanded 48-team competition format.
Vin膷i膰 follows Szymon Marciniak of Poland in being chosen to officiate the biggest match in world soccer. Marciniak awarded a penalty to each team in the thrilling 3-3 draw in the World Cup final between Argentina and France in Qatar in December 2022. Argentina then won the penalty shootout in which Marciniak showed a yellow card to goalkeeper Emiliano Mart铆nez for unsporting conduct in trying to distract French players.
The pick of Vin膷i膰 continues a pattern for 10 straight World Cups since 1990: European referees are chosen for finals played outside Europe, and referees from other continents are picked for finals played in Europe. Those include Italian Collina, the premier referee of his generation, who worked Brazil’s 2-0 win over Germany in the 2002 final in Japan.
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