Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic (AP Photo)
FIFA has appointed Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic to officiate Sunday’s 2026 World Cup final between holders Argentina and Spain, handing one of the most prestigious assignments in football to an official whose career was once spared a bizarre off-field controversy after he was caught in a police raid on a suspected prostitution ring.FIFA confirmed on Wednesday that Vincic will officiate the title match at MetLife Stadium, assisted by his Slovenian compatriots Tomas Klancnik and Andraz Kovacic. Jordanian Adham Makhadma will assume the duties of the fourth referee, while Muhammad Al-Khalaf has been appointed as a reserve assistant referee.
The appointment puts Vinicic at the heart of football’s biggest game just six years after he made global headlines for reasons far removed from the sport.
Police raids, cocaine and guns: the controversy that nearly overshadowed his career
According to a Daily Mail report, in May 2020, Vincic was among dozens of people arrested during a major police operation on a farm near Bijeljina in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Authorities raided what investigators described as a gathering linked to an alleged international prostitution ring.According to reports at the time, police arrested 26 men and nine women, including Tijana Maksimovic, whom investigators identified as the alleged organizer of the prostitution ring.
Officers also confiscated four packages of cocaine, 10 handguns, three flak jackets and more than 10,000 euros in various currencies during the operation.
Maksimovic later pleaded guilty to charges relating to international solicitation of prostitution, with a proposed sentence of one year in prison.However, Fencic was never charged with any criminal wrongdoing. The police only interrogated him as a witness before releasing him after it was found that he had nothing to do with the alleged criminal operation.The Slovenian referee has consistently maintained that he has been invited to what he believes is a legitimate business lunch.“I accepted an invitation to lunch, which turned out to be the biggest mistake I made,” Vincic told Slovenian outlet Vecer after the incident. “I have no connection to the group that was arrested and detained, and no connection to my business partners. We were questioned as witnesses, and when it turned out we didn’t even know them, we were able to go.”The head of the Football Referees Association in Slovenia, Vlado Sagen, also publicly defended the official, insisting that no action would be taken against him and describing the incident as a “web of unfortunate circumstances”.Despite the controversy, Vincic’s refereeing career has continued to flourish, culminating in his appointment to officiate the 2024 Champions League final between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid.
A familiar face of Argentina
The World Cup final match on Sunday will not be Vincic’s first experience of managing a match for Argentina in the biggest football tournament.His only previous World Cup appearance for Lionel Messi’s side came during the 2022 edition, when Argentina suffered one of the biggest upsets in the tournament’s history, losing 2-1 to Saudi Arabia in their opening group stage match before recovering to lift the trophy.In the current World Cup, Vincic supervised three matches, including Mexico’s victory over Ecuador in the round of 32, Brazil’s draw with Morocco, and Algeria’s victory over Jordan.His appointment also comes as Argentina prepares for another attempt at history after its dramatic semi-final comeback against England. Meanwhile, Spain booked its place in the final after defeating France 2-0, starting a strong confrontation with the defending champion.