Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić will make history on Sunday when he becomes the first official from his country to take charge of a FIFA World Cup final, overseeing the title decider between Argentina and Spain at New York New Jersey Stadium.

The 46-year-old from Maribor will also become only the 23rd referee in history to officiate a FIFA World Cup final, a distinction he described as an “incredible honour” after being informed of his appointment by FIFA Chief Refereeing Officer and Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, Pierluigi Collina.

Vinčić admitted he was overwhelmed when he received the news.

“First of all, a shock. Then happiness. I was shaking, so it’s an incredible honour to get the FIFA World Cup final,” he said.

“It’s only a dream for a referee when they start their career. I’m very proud of myself and my team.”

The appointment crowns a distinguished officiating career that has seen Vinčić handle some of the biggest matches in European and international football.

He refereed at UEFA EURO 2020, took charge of the 2022 UEFA Europa League final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers, and later officiated the 2024 UEFA Champions League final involving Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid. He also worked at UEFA EURO 2024, including the semi-final between France and Spain, before handling matches at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 in the United States.

This is Vinčić’s second FIFA World Cup appearance after officiating two matches at Qatar 2022. At the ongoing tournament, he has overseen Brazil versus Morocco and Jordan versus Algeria in the group stage, as well as Mexico against Ecuador in the Round of 32.

The Slovenian was quick to share the spotlight with his officiating team, particularly assistant referees Tomaž Klančnik and Andraž Kovačič, who will join him for the final.

“Refereeing is all about teamwork. Without them, this is not possible,” Vinčić said.

“I’m really happy that I have had them throughout our careers. We are really good friends, a good team, and thanks to them.”

Jordanian officials Adham Makhadmeh and Mohammad Al-Kalaf have been appointed fourth official and reserve assistant referee respectively for the final.

For FIFA, the selection of Vinčić reflects a long evaluation process throughout the competition.

Collina explained that consistent performances remained the decisive factor in choosing the referee for the tournament’s showpiece match.

“There are many pieces of the puzzle that have to be combined together, but performances matter the most,” Collina said.

“Of course, the matches they refereed before and other factors are considered, but at the end of the day, performances are what really matter.”

The legendary Italian referee admitted that announcing appointments for the World Cup’s medal matches remains one of the most emotional moments of every tournament.

“It’s emotional for the referees, but it is very emotional also for me,” Collina said.

“This is the third time I have done it at a FIFA World Cup, and I still get goosebumps.”

Despite the magnitude of the occasion, Vinčić insisted his preparation for the final would not differ from his routine throughout the tournament.

“We will analyse the teams again, even though we have been following them for more than 40 days,” he said.

“We will stay focused, remain mentally and physically fresh, and do our best so that we will not be a topic after the match.”

Meanwhile, FIFA has also confirmed the officiating team for Saturday’s third-place playoff between France and England at Miami Stadium.

Venezuelan referee Jesús Valenzuela will take charge of the bronze-medal encounter, assisted by fellow Venezuelans Jorge Urrego and Tulio Moreno. Morocco’s Jalal Jayed has been appointed fourth official, while compatriot Zakaria Brinsi will serve as reserve assistant referee.

The video assistant referee teams for both matches have also been announced.

Uruguayan Leodan González will serve as VAR for the bronze-medal match, assisted by American Armando Villarreal and Spain’s Carlos Del Cerro Grande.

For the final, Germany’s Bastian Dankert has been named VAR, with Colombia’s Nicolás Gallo as assistant VAR and Qatar’s Khamis Al Marri serving as support VAR.

With the world’s attention set to focus on Argentina and Spain’s battle for football’s most coveted prize, Vinčić now stands on the brink of refereeing history, carrying not only the hopes of his officiating team but also the pride of an entire nation as Slovenia becomes represented for the first time in a FIFA World Cup final.

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The World Cup trophy will be transported to the New York-New Jersey stadium in ​a bespoke Louis Vuitton trunk, with the French luxury ‌fashion house once again entrusted with designing the carry case for the most coveted prize in soccer.

The trunk features a golden V for “Victory” – ​and “Vuitton” – across the front, with the brand’s recognisable monogram ​pattern and gold-plated brass corner protectors.

The interior is ⁠lined with beige leather and features a patch commemorating the ​partnership between Louis Vuitton and FIFA.

It is the fifth successive ​occasion in which the French company has designed a trunk for the trophy, following those used at the 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 tournaments.

“For ​over a decade, Louis Vuitton and FIFA have shared ​an unwavering commitment to excellence, bound by a shared belief in sport’s ‌power ⁠to inspire and bring people together,” Louis Vuitton CEO and Chairman Pietro Beccari said in a statement.

Luxury brands have long staked out their territory in professional sport, with Tiffany & Co. crafting ​the prize ​awarded to the ⁠Super Bowl champion — now known as the Vince Lombardi Trophy — since the first edition in ​1967.

Louis Vuitton also crafts bespoke luxury trophy trunks ​for ⁠major Grand Prix circuits under a 10-year deal with Formula 1.

But there is only one trophy for the quadrennial global showpiece – ⁠the ​prize typically resides at the FIFA ​Museum in Zurich – making the chance to design its bespoke luggage a particular ​honour.

World Cup replica trophy is displayed in a Louis Vuitton trophy trunk. New York City, U.S. – July 16, 2026 General view as a World Cup replica trophy is displayed in a Louis Vuitton trophy trunk. In a Louis Vuitton store in New York City REUTERS/Amy Tennery

Reuters

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Spain’s Pedro Sanchez and U.S. President Donald Trump are set to meet again at Sunday’s World Cup final, as strained ​relations between the two leaders over defence spending and the ‌war with Iran continue to simmer.

Sanchez, the Spanish prime minister, will be in New Jersey for the game, his office said on Friday, where Trump could end ​up handing the trophy to the Spanish team, who play ​Argentina.

Trump has repeatedly criticised Spain over the government’s refusal to commit ⁠to NATO’s target of spending 5% of GDP on defence, making ​numerous threats of trade reprisals.

The latest came earlier this month at the ​NATO summit in Ankara when Trump told his advisers to “cut off all trade with Spain, including visits.”

The U.S. leader later softened his tone, saying Spain had honoured the request ​for payments and been “very generous”, a statement which Sanchez’s government understood ​as a reference to Madrid complying with its agreed defence spending target of 2% ‌of GDP.

Sanchez, who also angered Trump’s administration earlier this year by denying use of its military bases and airspace during the U.S. attack on Iran, at the time said Spain sought the best possible relations with its ​allies.

The two leaders ​held an informal, ⁠friendly conversation at the summit limited to topics including the World Cup, he said.

The Spanish leader has travelled ​frequently to the United States during his time ​in office, ⁠mostly for UN General Assembly meetings in New York. He visited Washington in 2023 for bilateral meetings with former U.S. President Joe Biden.

The Spanish ⁠royal family, ​including King Felipe, Queen Letizia and their ​daughters, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia, have also confirmed they will attend the final.

-Reuters

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