Slovenia: The Slovenian Football Association confirmed that Vinčić, 46, has ended his refereeing career following the tournament final held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Vinčić faced criticism over several decisions during the final, which saw Spain defeat Argentina 1-0 after extra time. He was accused by some observers of being lenient towards physical challenges during the match, although he sent off Argentina and Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernández in stoppage time of the second half.
Despite the controversy, Vinčić received major recognition for his performances, winning the World Cup Referee of the Year award from the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS), as well as the Giulio Campanati Award from the Italian Referees Association for the best referee at a World Cup or European Championship.
A member of UEFA’s elite refereeing panel since 2019, Vinčić officiated matches at Euro 2020 and the Euro 2024 semi-final between Spain and Italy.
During the 2026 World Cup, he refereed four matches, including Brazil’s group-stage clash against Morocco and Mexico’s 2-0 round-of-16 victory over Ecuador, which featured Ecuador defender Piero Hincapié’s sending-off under the tournament’s new rules.
Vinčić’s career highlights also include refereeing the 2024 UEFA Champions League final, where Real Madrid defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-0 to claim their 15th European title, and the 2022 UEFA Europa League final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers.
In 2025, he became the first foreign referee selected to officiate a Turkish league derby between Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe, following a request from both clubs.