NEW JERSEY : Vincic will become the first referee from Slovenia to officiate a FIFA World Cup final, marking a historic milestone for the country and for the 46-year-old official from Maribor. FIFA confirmed that the match will be played on Sunday, July 19, at the New York/New Jersey Stadium.
Speaking after his appointment, Vincic described the honour as the result of years of collective work and dedication. He said he was informed of the decision by FIFA’s head of refereeing and chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, Italian official Pierluigi Collina.
Vincic is one of Europe’s most experienced referees and has handled several major matches across international and club football. He was part of the refereeing team at Euro 2020 and later officiated the 2022 UEFA Europa League final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers.
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Two years later, he took charge of the 2024 UEFA Champions League final between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid. He was also selected for Euro 2024, where he officiated several matches, including the semi-final between France and Spain.
The Slovenian referee also served at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States. This will be his second FIFA World Cup, after he officiated two matches during the 2022 edition in Qatar.
In the current tournament, Vincic has already taken charge of Brazil’s group-stage match against Morocco, Jordan’s match against Algeria, and Mexico’s Round of 32 clash against Ecuador.
Jordan’s Adham Makhadmeh has been appointed as the fourth official for the final, while his compatriot Mohammed Al-Kallaf will serve as the reserve assistant referee.
Meanwhile, the third-place match between France and England will be played on Saturday in Miami. Venezuelan referee Jesus Valenzuela will officiate the match, assisted by his compatriots Jorge Orrego and Tulio Moreno. Morocco’s Jalal Jiyed will serve as the fourth official, with Zakaria Brinsi named as the reserve assistant.
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