Slovenian Vincic to referee World Cup final, FIFA defends officials

Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic will officiate the World Cup final, a notable decision as his home country did not participate in the tournament. Pierluigi Collina, head of FIFA referees, cited Vincic's performance throughout the competition as the primary reason for his selection, emphasizing that it is a complex process involving multiple factors but ultimately performance-driven.

“

It's the third time I've appointed the referee for the final, and every time I get goosebumps: the choice is a complex process, there are many pieces of the puzzle, but they must all be combined to get the picture of the final referee, and it's something that runs through the entire competition. Naturally, what matters most are the performances. Also the matches they have refereed previously, also the fact that his team is not competing in this competition, but mainly the performances.

Vincic expressed initial shock followed by immense happiness and pride upon learning of his appointment. He brings significant experience to the role, having previously refereed the 2022 Europa League final and the 2024 Champions League final between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid. His World Cup experience includes matches like Brazil vs. Morocco and Mexico vs. Ecuador, where he issued a red card. He also refereed a semifinal at Euro 2024.

“

At first I was shocked, but I am very happy, and above all proud.

The tournament has been marked by numerous refereeing controversies, including accusations of favoritism towards Argentina and criticism of officials like Ivan Barton. FIFA officials, including Collina, have strongly defended the integrity of the referees. Collina stated that no one can question their integrity or suggest that FIFA officiating can be influenced by external parties, even the president.

“

No one can question the integrity of the World Cup match officials.

Adding to the challenges, an incident before the tournament saw Somali referee Omar Artan denied entry into the United States, highlighting difficulties FIFA faced in managing officials. Infantino acknowledged that FIFA cannot control everything, underscoring the complex nature of officiating at such a high-stakes global event.

“

No one can claim that FIFA officiating can be influenced by anyone, not even the president.