Official! Top football referee announces retirement!
He is leaving football immediately after the biggest appointment of his career.
Details: The Slovenian Football Association has officially confirmed that 46-year-old referee Slavko Vinčić has ended his professional career. The decision was announced a week after the 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina.
Vinčić's final match was the decisive World Cup showdown, where Spain edged out Argentina 1-0. He became the first Slovenian head referee to officiate a World Cup final.
Previously, he also took charge of the 2022 Europa League final between Eintracht and Rangers, and in 2024 officiated the Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund. Vinčić had been on the FIFA referees list since 2010.
After the World Cup, the Slovenian was named the tournament's best referee by the IFFHS and also received the prestigious Giulio Campanati Award.
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