FIFA Selects European Referee for World Cup Final, Official Overwhelmed with Emotion

Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić has been appointed to officiate the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina. The highly anticipated match is scheduled for Sunday evening, kicking off at 10:00 PM Bulgarian time.

The announcement was made in a room filled with the remaining referees, with FIFA's head of refereeing, Pierluigi Collina, bestowing the honor. Upon learning he would be officiating the most important game, Vinčić was visibly emotional, shedding tears of joy and embracing his assistant referees, Tomaž Klančnik and Andraž Kovačič. The trio will be supported during the match by fourth official Adham Makhadmeh and reserve assistant referee Mohamed Al-Halaf, both from Jordan.

Immediately after the news, the Slovenian expressed his shock. “I was trembling; it’s an incredible honor to reach the World Cup final. This is a dream for every referee, especially for a young official at the start of their career. I am very proud of myself and my team. It’s a privilege to represent Slovenia at the world’s biggest sporting event, and we will give our absolute best,” Vinčić stated, also acknowledging his family. “They are my first thought. They have sacrificed so much throughout my career. That’s why I am so proud of where I am now. I thank them too.”