Slavko Vinčić Calls Time on Refereeing After Criticism Over Football World Cup Final

Slavko Vincic, the referee who was in charge of officiating the Football World Cup final match between Spain and Argentina has decided to call it a day on his officiating career. His retirement comes just a few days after the conclusion of the tournament.

Vincic, who hails from Slovenia faced widespread criticism for the way he handled the ugly incidents that occurred after the final whistle was blown in the final match. Post the match, few of the Argentine players got involved in a physical altercation with the Spanish players and tried to physically attack them.

The final was won by Spain to lift their second World Cup trophy. The match was intense throughout and went into extra-time where Ferran Torres scored a brace to help Spain win 1-0, stopping Argentina from defending their title. The match also saw Argentine player Enzo Fernandes being shown a red card during the stoppage time.

Soon after the match was over, the Spanish players rushed onto the field but their celebrations were marred by ugly scenes as players from both sides clashed on the pitch. The apex governing body of football is investigating the post-match incidents that included Argentinian player Leandro Paredes throwing Spanish player Xavi on the ground although the Spanish star has confirmed that he does not want Parades to be handed a suspension.

Confirming Vincic’s retirement, the Slovenian Football Association released a statement, “A week after the World Cup final in the USA, Slavko Vincic officially concluded his historic refereeing career at the top of the world.” Despite the recent controversy, the 46-year-old Vincic has had a distinguished career and he has been named the World Cup’s best referee by both International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) and the Association of Italian Referees (AIA).

Vincic has been an official member of the UEFA’s elite group of referees since 2019. Before this world cup final, he has also officiated in many other major events like the Euro 2020. In this world cup, he also officiated in other matches, including the Group C match between Brazil and Morocco and the last-16 Mexico vs Ecuador match.

Apart from international matches, Vincic has also officiated many high-profile club-level matches, including the 2024 Champions League Final that saw Real Madrid win their 15th title against Borussia Dortmund.