FLASHBACK: How World Cup final referee was arrested at a criminal location 6 years ago
The 2026 FIFA World Cup final is set to take place tonight at the New York/New Jersey Stadium, with Argentina looking to successfully defend their title against Spain. Both sides have been among the tournament’s most exciting teams, delivering goals, dramatic comebacks and dominant performances throughout the competition co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and […]
The 2026 FIFA World Cup final is set to take place tonight at the New York/New Jersey Stadium, with Argentina looking to successfully defend their title against Spain.
Both sides have been among the tournament’s most exciting teams, delivering goals, dramatic comebacks and dominant performances throughout the competition co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
However, the World Cup has also been marked by several controversial refereeing decisions, making the profile of the man in the middle particularly significant for football’s biggest match.
For the 2026 tournament, FIFA’s Referees Committee, headed by Pierluigi Collina—widely regarded as one of the greatest referees in football history—has appointed experienced Slovenian official Slavko Vincic to take charge of the final.
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The 46-year-old has been a professional referee since 2010 and has officiated several high-profile matches in European football, including one UEFA Champions League final and one UEFA Europa League final.
However, his reputation came under scrutiny in 2020 when he was arrested during a police raid on a location in Bosnia and Herzegovina where a sex party was allegedly taking place. The operation led to the arrest of about a dozen people, with illegal drugs, weapons and money reportedly seized.
Vincic was released a few hours later and has consistently maintained that he was at the location for a business meeting. He was never charged with any wrongdoing. UEFA and the Slovenian Football Association also backed Vincic, who works as a telecommunications engineer outside football. Since the incident, he has continued to officiate top-level matches and has established himself as one of Europe’s leading referees.
Vincic has officiated one match involving Argentina—their 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He has also taken charge of five matches involving Spain, with the European nation yet to lose a game under his officiating.
As Vincic steps onto the pitch on Sunday night, he will be one of the most closely watched figures in the stadium, with some fans wary of perceived favouritism toward Argentina, while Spain will hope the Slovenian official maintains their unbeaten record under his watch as they chase a second World Cup title.