By Hotepo Setonyon
Slavko Vinčić has announced his retirement from refereeing at the age of 46 after officiating the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, bringing an end to an international career that spanned 16 years.
The Maribor-born Slovenian became the first referee from Slovenia to officiate a FIFA World Cup final, capping one of the most decorated careers in modern refereeing. He has been on the FIFA international referees’ list since 2010.
Vinčić, who grew up as a basketball fan, found his way into football when his uncle, an assistant referee, encouraged him to take up officiating at the age of 20. He began refereeing in 1999, handling local matches around Maribor while studying engineering.
In 2007, he became a professional referee after progressing to Slovenia’s PrvaLiga. Just three years later, he earned his FIFA badge and became an international referee in 2010.
Vinčić made his FIFA World Cup debut at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he officiated Argentina’s shock 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia, one of the biggest upsets in the tournament’s history.
He also took charge of the 2022 UEFA Europa League final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers, the UEFA Champions League final between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid at Wembley Stadium, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina.
At the end of his illustrious refereeing career, Vinčić had officiated 72 matches across UEFA’s top two club competitions. He featured at four UEFA European Championships in 2012, 2016, 2020 and 2024, and officiated six FIFA World Cup matches.
He capped off his career in style by winning the IFFHS Best Referee of the 2026 FIFA World Cup award and Italy’s prestigious Giulio Campanati Award.
More Stories
Join Capital Sports Updates
Get breaking sports news, match results, transfer updates and highlights directly on WhatsApp.