&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "The Slovenian referee, Slavko Vincic, who officiated the FIFA World Cup 2026 final announces retirement")
Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic has announced his retirement from professional refereeing after officiating the FIFA World Cup 2026 final between Spain and Argentina, bringing an outstanding international career to a close. The 46-year-old ended his final season on a high, with the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) naming him the Best Referee of the FIFA World Cup 2026. In Italy, he was also honoured with the prestigious Giulio Campanati Award, recognizing his contribution to football officiating.
Vincic made his FIFA World Cup debut at the 2022 tournament in Qatar, where he officiated two matches. He was assigned three more fixtures during the 2026 edition, including the World Cup final, taking his overall tally to six World Cup matches. One of the defining moments of his career came in 2024 when he refereed the UEFA Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium, one of the highest honours for a European referee. Over the years, Vincic also took charge of matches in the UEFA European Championship, FIFA World Cup qualifiers, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Nations League and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Born in Maribor on November 25, 1979, Vincic steadily rose through the ranks of European football officiating. He served as the sixth referee during UEFA Euro 2012 and was part of the Slovenian refereeing team that officiated the quarter-final between Greece and Germany. In 2013, he officiated at the UEFA European Under-17 Championship in Slovakia, where he progressed to the semi-finals. Two years later, he made his debut in the knockout rounds of European club competitions by refereeing the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 clash between Guingamp and Dynamo Kyiv.
During UEFA Euro 2016, Vincic again served as the sixth referee with the Slovenian officiating team led by Damir Skomina. Later that year, he made his UEFA Champions League refereeing debut in the group-stage encounter between Manchester City and Celtic. His consistent performances earned him regular Champions League appointments, and by the end of 2019 he had been promoted to UEFA's elite group of referees.
Vincic's international experience also included the FIFA U-17 World Cup in India in 2017, the UEFA Under-21 European Championship in Poland and the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2019 before making his senior FIFA World Cup debut in Qatar in 2022.
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At the Qatar World Cup, he officiated Argentina's shock group-stage defeat to Saudi Arabia, beginning a World Cup journey that culminated in the honour of refereeing the FIFA World Cup 2026 final.
Across European club football's top competitions, Vincic refereed 72 matches in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, with the 2024 Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund standing out as one of the crowning moments of his career. With his retirement, football bids farewell to one of the most respected referees of the modern era, whose career featured appointments at the biggest tournaments and finals in world football.
