The head referee of the World Cup final will be Slavko Vinčić, a highly regarded Slovenian official who said his initial reaction to the selection was “a shock, then happiness.”
“I was shaking, so it’s an incredible honor to get the World Cup final,” Vinčić said in an interview shared by FIFA. “It’s only a dream for a referee, for a young referee when they start. So, I’m very proud, very proud of myself, my team.”
“It’s very difficult to put everything into words, but I’m very proud to represent my country, Slovenia, in the biggest sporting event in the world.”
Vinčić has worked as an official for FIFA since 2010 and has experience in highly consequential matches, having worked 72 Champions League and Europa League matches. He worked the 2024 Champions League final between Dortmund and Real Madrid. This is his third World Cup.
Fellow Slovenians Tomaz Klancnik and Andraz Kovacic will work the match as Vinčić’s assistant referees. Adham Makhadmeh, from Jordan, will be the fourth official.
Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s chief refereeing officer and the chairman of FIFA’s referees committee, said that a referee’s “performances are (what) matter the most” in being selected to work such an important match. But “also the fact that his team is not playing (in) this competition.” Slovenia failed to qualify for this tournament, but will still be represented in the final.