The experienced Slovenian UEFA Elite referee has been rewarded with WC final.
With Vinčić, Jordanian referee Adham Makhadmeh will work as fourth official.
The Third place game will be officiated by Jesus Valenzuela.
Match #103
Third Place Game
18 July 2026, 23:00 CET
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami GardensFRANCE - ENGLAND
Referee: Jesus Valenzuela VEN
Assistant Referee 1: Jorge Urrego VEN
Assistant Referee 2: Tulio Moreno VEN
Fourth Official: Jalal Jayed MAR
Reserve AR: Zakaria Brinsi MAR
Video Assistant Referee: Leodan Gonzalez URU
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 1 : Armando Villarreal USA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 2 : Carlos Del Cerro Grande ESP
Standby Video Assistant Referee: : Juan Soto VEN
Standby Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Juan Lara CHI
Match #104
Final
19 July 2026, 21:00 CET
MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
SPAIN - ARGENTINA
Referee: Slavko Vinčić SVN
Assistant Referee 1: Tomaž Klančnik SVN
Assistant Referee 2: Andraž Kovačič SVN
Fourth Official: Adham Makhadmeh JOR
Reserve AR: Mohammad Alkalaf JOR
Video Assistant Referee: Bastian Dankert GER
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 1 : Nicolas Gallo COL
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 2 : Khamis Al Marri QAT
Standby Video Assistant Referee: : Tatiana Guzman NCA
Standby Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Guillermo Pacheco MEX
It’s laughable to think that Vincic who successfully officiated a Galatasaray-Fenerbahçe derby—with 30,000 police officers and security personnel present—wouldn't be able to handle this pressure. Vincic is an experienced referee who has managed high-tension, hostile derbies in Turkey and Greece. I believe this was a perfectly fair appointment.. Good luck Slavko
ReplyDeleteHe's more than a decent referee but Faghani should have been appointed - Vincic should have been appointed to the 3rd / 4th
DeleteValenzuela was appointed to 3rd/4th
DeleteThat game was admirable, but he also officiated in the 2024 CL Final and the Euro 2024 semi-final. Big games are no stranger to him.
Delete@Ref AI : uh how is that related to what I'm saying
DeleteSlavko was running a lot harder and better diagonals in group stage and k o. Games, this world cup versus ANYTHING we've ever seen in champions league..so maybe he knew he had a chance
ReplyDeleteA fair appointment for Vincic, but wasn't expecting Faghani to not officiate in any capacity after the Round of 16. Collina must've taken a dim view of the 2 OFRs in that game. Disappointed for him and Makkelie.
ReplyDeleteWell deserved appointment for Makhadmeh though, 4 well refereed games this tournament.
My comments:
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, it's a scandal appointment. Vincic is a referee who has a influenced mentor, nothing more. It's not a WC Final level.
Its really embarassing. I am ashamed for my refereeing hobby, when decision was made only by politics...
A influence by Ceferin is huge. Conflict UEFA v FIFA? What a joke, its not serious when a Ceferin's pupil gets a most important achievement in football.
Performance principle? It's a ridicolous.
A treatment for Faghani. He is Iranian, so he is banned, but the rest?
We have a better referees, with better tournament, with better matches. And at the end, politics is winning.
I am really ashamed for my interesting to world refereeing.
Among 15 UEFA referees at this tournament:
Marciniak, Letexier, Turpin, Oliver, Makkelie are the better referees than Vincic
Additionally,
Newcomers like Eskas, Mariani, Nyberg had a better tournament and get more sonorous matches.
Final ref from R32 match? Disgrace.
Mexico v Ecuador as a final test for final? Algeria v Jordan? Only first match (Brasil v Morocco) seems logical for final ambitions.. Last match R32 - 19 days prior final!
Really shame at every aspect.
This. I don't mind the long time horizon but the fact he wasn't assigned to ANY contentious game is bizzare there's been no ' test ' and he gets a straight appointment to final. I don't doubt his pedigree and experience- nothing shouts out to me as undeserved per se. But relative to other options and referees who did well in very challenging and hotly contested ties, this is like a slap to the face of meritocracy
DeleteWhile I understand some of your points, I'll respectfully disagree with others. In particular the referees you mentioned as options for the finals:
Delete- Letexier, Turpin, Oliver: impossible due to their their countries being in the semis; imagine Oliver in the final after the Falkland incident.
- Eskas, Mariani, Nyberg: not experienced enough and haven't really been assigned to any major finals in their career - usually the WC final is not a 'first final' thing
- Marciniak - already reffed the Final in 22 which rules him out (plus his history with Argentina also doesn't help given then narrative throughout the tournament)
- Makkellie - that's the one where I don't know what's going on, however he also doesn't seem to have the best standing in UEFA now after his meteoric rise so there might be larger issues at play.
Lastly, I also don't agree with your point that it's an issue for Vincic to 'only' have reffed a R32 game prior to the final / that he hasn't been 'tested' enough. He's so experienced and has reffed the biggest games in the world (biggest CL games every season) that no one in FIFA will question his ability to handle the two teams.
In summary, I think Faghani would have been assigned if the final was not in the US but Vincic was always the second best option.
Well deserved - he's one of the best in the world and more importantly he knows almost all the players and nobody will question his qualifications. I'm pretty sure Collina wasn't happy after the Semis when the European/French media (and more importantly head coach) questioned the level of the referee and his lack of experience in big games.
ReplyDeleteAs for Faghani, I'm wondering if there's a political aspect to it with the president confirming he'll be attending the game (and handing out medals) - not sure if we would have wanted to put a medal on an Iranian ref (yes, I know he has AUS citizenship too). Lastly, it might also be an olive branch to UEFA after the all the (public) disagreements over the past few weeks.
In summary, while Vincic clearly deserves the appointment, I'm fairly certain that (unfortunately) a lot of political considerations went into this assignment as well.
+10000000
DeleteI have to admit, I wasn't expecting this. Not because of Vinčić himself, but because of the whole UEFA–FIFA current situation. In the end, however, Collina has entrusted the final to what can reasonably be considered the leading referee produced by European football. As always, it is the smallest details that decide who gets the final. As prestigious as these appointments are, we know that whether a national team qualifies or not changes everything. Without Argentina in the final, it would most likely have been officiated by a CONMEBOL referee.
ReplyDeleteThis appointment also acknowledges what has increasingly become evident: UEFA refereeing is currently at a higher level than that of the other confederations. Regardless of individual opinions, that is now difficult to deny.
The appointment of the Jordanian referee as fourth official is thoroughly deserved. In my view, it also suggests that assigning Faghani as the referee on the field would have been impossible because of his nationality, under the eyes of Trump.
Personally, I prefer Vinčić to the much-celebrated Wilton Sampaio, whose reputation, in my opinion, has been greatly exaggerated. At the same time, I would have been pleased to see Faghani receive the final, but objectively, that was never a realistic possibility, given what I said before.
The Slovenian in this way ends (I think so?) a memorable career, one could say. It's deserved after all he showed. But to me, this final assignment came absolutely unexpected. .
Trump's wife is Slovenian, and if i’m not wrong she was born in Maribor, like Vinčić :) It wasn't a surprise to me.
DeleteAt least our ears won't be assaulted by Sampaio's whistling 😆
DeleteQuick reminder that just One year ago Faghani has officiated FIFA Club World Cup Final and was honored by Trump himself!!
Delete@habib Last year After that match, Faghani posted a photo with Trump on his Instagram page.
DeleteLast month, he deleted it from his official account. This actually says it all..
From app the referees at the WC he was the best possible choice. This is the first decision by the committee that i finally find fair and balanced. I dont say that there werent any good assignments up to now but most were as they just want to have their games turned into circus. Good luck to Slavko!
Delete@Chefren:
DeleteAbsolutely agree. For Vincic, unexpected appointment maybe, but deserved with no doubt as well.
First of all, congrats referee Slavko Vinčić!
ReplyDeleteSecondly, what should Asian referee do to merit World Cup final after this? :) For me Faghani is more than deserved to referee the final, but the too-good palmares (olympic final, 2 club world cups final, asian cup final, not too mention afc champions league) are against him.
After Irmatov and Faghani, I still yearn for Asian referee in the middle of the field, not just in the sides. Maybe in the future Asian football administrators should play politics harder, so that Asian can be the central referee.
4 years from now, the favorite will be Valenzuela, Barton, Letexier, Oliver, Eskas, and maybe several more. Will Makhadmeh be in their level? Anyhow, AFC needs to scout young, good referee (similar to Barton 2022) asap, so that in the right time, Asian will ref. If possible, from a perfectly neutral and apolitical country, so that his descent won't be questioned.
May AFC refereeing committee see this, and may there be a new Asian refereeing revolution in sight!
About Asia - if Nishimura and specially Irmatov and Faghani werent able to get a final, I suppose that AFC never will get a final.
DeleteYeah, I know history of Irmatov (WC 14 and 18) and boycott to Faghani due to politics.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, but Faghani had a very poor tournament.
DeleteFaghani sure, Makhadmeh: no way - his first World Cup and the biggest game he ever handled before was the QF of the FIFA Arab cub between Algeria and UAE (and the 1st leg of the Asian CL in 2017) - hardly the resume required for a WC final.
Delete@tomke Then what about marcinak the last wc where he only had participated in gs in 2018 and biggest match was probably the super cup.(Before 22 wc)
DeleteSeriously ? Lol, not sure if you're joking or not but here's a short answer in case you're not.
Delete1) He was actually part of 2 prior WC with 5 games.
2) He reffed UEFA super cup (Real vs Atletico no less)
3) He reffed countless high profile CL games (which are the biggest games in the world) before his final, including, in the prior season a QF (Real - Chelsea) and a SF (Liverpool - Villarreal)
Well done to Slavko Vinčić, any referee who is awarded with the honour deserves to be shown respect. I don’t agree with the appointment, I don’t think slavko is world class level because for me that what you have to be to be final referee …. Collina, Rizoli, Elizondo, Webb, Pitana that for me is world class level especially Elizondo and webb.
ReplyDeleteBut to sum up this World Cup this is by far the worst World Cup I have ever seen the officiating, 1994 I was 10, so prob 98 onwards I remember most … there use to be a pride, fifa use to put out directives of referees must protect the image of the game etc but this World Cup I didn’t witness refereeing , I witnessed for me this modern decline in refereeing in full flow. This whole new over over over manage everything showed that many officials are extremely weak and timid, and players bulled them badly, it was embarrassing to watch at times. But watching Tandashav was literally the moment I saw something in refereeing Iv never seen someone so petrified of a team and look hopeless on clues to get out. I hear people say in AFC this way he referees he seriously needs to look at himself and change his game plan or just give up because he did nothing to protect the young referees starting out on the parks level, and the most insulting thing was Paraguay made some ridiculous tackles nothing but he managed to caution 3 French !
Best refs of WC - Barton / Turpin/ Faghani
Mr Faghani sir - you been a star, your handling of England v Mexico you did well / strong. Im sorry you haven’t got the final but hold your head high sir and smash out 1 more season in Australia !
İvan Barton for the 2030 final 🙏🏻🙏🏻
ReplyDeleteI am genuinely surprised by this! One of the main reasons I was not even considering Vincic for the middle was what happened in the UCL quarterfinal between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, especially the cards he gave that he would not normally show.
ReplyDeleteNevertheless, this is a great comeback story. What an emotional rollercoaster it must have been for him to experience such a low point and then in the same year rise again and be trusted with best game every referee dream.
Congratulations to him. It must be an incredible feeling!
Naturally, the tension and fight between Čeferin and Infantino, no one expected FIFA to appoint Čeferin's golden boy, Vinčić, to this gamr, so it came as a surprise..
ReplyDeleteThis appointment reminds us that being a WC Final Referee doesn't mean the best in the world or even in the confederation.
ReplyDeleteIMO If there is Ranking for European referees Slavko would not be in top 5. UCL final should be the maximum he can reach based on his performances and overall career but sometimes life gives more than deserved/expected.
But we should ask why not Makkelie in Final ??
You know what, Personally I will substitute Slavko with Nyberg !!
Other than the French and the Englishmen I don't think any other European referee is necessarily more qualified than Vincic . (Except Marciniak if he doesn't referee Argentina but he was never getting another wc final)
DeleteHuge congratulations to Slavko Vincic! After the group stage I changed my three picks for the possible WC Final referee. Vincic was now on the list. He had a excellent start to the tournament and the other games went very well as well. This one is much deserved. He has the experience, the pedigree and his achivements during this WC definitely justify this nomination.
ReplyDeleteI predicted Vincic for the final and Valenzuela for the 3rd game. :) Both had an excellent tournament.
Also notable that after the Euros final 2021 and the CL final this season, Bastian Dankert will be the VAR in the final. If I am not wrong he's the first VAR to be appointed to all three major finals in the main VAR capacity. Underscores that he's (arguably) the highest rated VAR in the world right now.
ReplyDeleteThis continues the pattern since 1990, that WC finals outside Europe are handled by UEFA referees and WC finals in Europe by referees from other confederations.
ReplyDeleteExactly the case
DeleteWhat a shame...
ReplyDeleteWhat a way to finish his carrer! Lat match is the final matchof eorld cup!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.instagram.com/reel/Da4KxVIuRV3/?igsh=ZndrdnZwbzFpNTZ4
ReplyDeleteMarciniaks face.... 😳
João Pinheiro comes across as extremely likeable in his reaction.
DeleteAnd Valenzuela as well
DeleteSeems like Pinheiro' is the only one truly happy about Vincic .
Deletealso Mariani, who was sat right to Vincic team
DeleteFirst of all, I would like to said BIG congratulations for SLAVKO VINCIC FOR APPOITMENT THAT WAS MORE THAN ABSOLUTELY DESERVED! Throguh the Championship his games was full under control, and the final test was passed by him at Azteca stadium,where he showed guts and lead the game without any problems with high authority! Very happy becouse of him! All finals at international level that he led, finished with zero problems! I mentiom somwhere that my dream was to see Adam in final, and Vincic as fourth official(that was due to relation FIFA-UEFA),but this is really better than in my dreams! After this, and at the end, with cold head, we saw that Collina in way of appointing,knows what he doing. Congrats to Adam for reward and deserved place fin final.
ReplyDeleteA perfect fit for the way this World Cup has been officiated. He matches up perfectly with that. All management, no discipline. Happy for him though, just sad about the state of football.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFelipe? Jesus Valenzuela bro 😂
DeleteCongrats also to Jesus Valenzuela. Good way for him to finish the championship!
ReplyDeleteThanks for bro ZwayerBrazil :)!
🤙🏻🤙🏻
DeleteI don't like Zwayer (as referee) but I like ZwayerBrazil a lot :D
DeleteOh thank you 😂
DeleteBrilliant and well deserved appointment for him, obviously qualified with a great career but also a very good tournament overall. Few UEFA referees had better tournaments; Taylor & Oliver and Turpin ineligible, Nyberg with small SF appointment and lacking experience. Makes Vincic the obvious choice.
ReplyDelete+1
Delete
ReplyDeleteWhile Valenzuela was expected for the third-place play-off, Vinčić's appointment for the grand final is somewhat unexpected. Before the tournament, his chances were slim, but of those remaining for the final four matches, I would have said he had a significant chance.
It is clear that those who refereed the semifinals were not being considered for the finals. Thus, of those remaining, Faghani and Vinčić were the favorites. The former had two VAR interventions in his last game, which, along with physical issues, sealed his fate. I believe that, from the Committee's perspective, Faghani was never in the running for the grand final.
That left Vinčić, who, politics aside, is a very good referee with vast experience and many important matches under his belt. While I don't personally like Vinčić's refereeing style, this appointment seems fair to me.
What I cannot understand is why Oliver and Turpin did not stay until the end; this was a real opportunity for the two of them to reach the final. Both are better than Vinčić.
I would also note one aspect regarding the referees of the last three World Cup finals: they lack an important quality, namely elegance. What elegance Elizondo, Webb, Rizzoli, and Puhl had! Oliver, Turpin, Faghani, and Makkelie possess that same elegance.
Returning to the final, I am convinced that Vinčić has what it takes to rise to the occasion. I wish him the best of luck!
So basically Argentina will win. And whoever denies the reality that is really in front of us needs to leave this job and do something else. I have never seen a WC this corrupt in my whole life. The problem with it? The ref job will just become even harder for everyone else because if 1 messes up, the others get the recipe for it.
ReplyDeleteAnd Vincic is not even at the same level as Makkelie.
It's so emotional moment.
ReplyDeletehttps://x.com/FIFAcom/status/2077949989670572484/video/1?s=46
How many mstches for Simon M during this WC?
ReplyDeleteTwo group stage matches. And then he and his team were kept in training camp for the rest of the tournament without further assignments
DeleteHow many mstches for Simon M during this WC?
ReplyDeleteBiased unfair call.Faghani should be appointment as this his last wc and also Afc referee never appointed for wc final ever where UEFA referee 13,Latin America 6,North America 1, Africa 1 times appointed for wc final .As like fifa the referring committee also loose their neutrality and be come corrupted
ReplyDeleteCan't have Trump meeting an Iranian.
DeleteCongrats to Vincic. Offcourse there is politics involved but on the other hand he is a good ref. Regarding Makkelie his chance for top assignments was over since his conflict with Nassar after the PSG game in 2022. A ref should not interfere with the interest of board members of FiFa and or UEFA or career is over. In that sense Lexetier has nothing to worry after the Egypt-Arg game because hé did not harm the interest of board members but ‘just’ harm Egypt. But unfortunately for Egypt they do not have any power.
ReplyDeleteSlavko vincic : So, first of all, a shock. Then happiness. I was shaking, so it’s an incredible honour to get the (FIFA) World Cup final,. “It’s something that… 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, my country.
ReplyDeleteSame for me when I woke up this morning and read the news. Congratulations to Vincic as I feel pride also for Slovenia.
DeleteFormer Fifa german referee
ReplyDeleteMANUEL GRAFE :
Vincic is officiating the final! My prediction (Jordanians) is that it's at least deserved for the 4th official…
This is a peace offering from #FIFA to #UEFA!
A clever move by Infantino/Collina, because nominating the Slovenian Vincic for the final is a gift to the Slovenian #UEFA President Ceferin. It’s an attempt to smooth things over and hope for less resistance from Europe regarding re-election—possibly even to prevent a challenger, as a final appointment is always also a matter of politics!
Technically, however, he is qualified because he is one of the last top refs from Europe. He officiated two group stage matches (including a good performance in BRAMAR) and one round of 16 match. After criticism from UEFA, he was threatened with the bench and no more games, or now, the final. (Unfortunately) #referee appointments at a World Cup also depend on such political considerations.
Vincic has earned this due to many top matches in Europe. However, some Spaniards might have mixed feelings upon seeing him again because of the #FCBRMA match and the elimination following the overly harsh red card for Camavinga. At least they know caution is advised… Traditionally, though, things are kept in check during the final.
Here’s hoping the refs aren't a topic of discussion after the match—at least for the end of the tournament!
Congratulations on the nomination, as it was hard-earned over many years and games and is well-deserved!
Good luck and all the best, Slavko! 🍀
In contrast to the numerous critical voices, I consider the appointment of Slavko Vinčić to be both eminently defensible and thoroughly merited. During the tournament he was entrusted with three matches, all of which I would regard as high-profile and demanding assignments rather than any form of “hidden path” designed to preserve him for later stages. If one uses Mikael’s reviews on this forum as a point of reference, Vinčić emerged with the strongest evaluations, receiving two marks of 7 and one of 8.
ReplyDeleteFor my part, I do not believe that he ought to have been removed from contention immediately after the Round of 32. On the contrary, a further appointment in either the Round of 16 or the quarter-finals would, in my view, have been entirely warranted and consistent with his performances. More broadly, he has distinguished himself over many years within European football through a level of consistency and reliability that is exceptionally rare at the highest echelon of refereeing.
My longstanding impression had been that FIFA held him in somewhat lower regard than UEFA. Yet the selection of European referees for this World Cup appears, to a considerable degree, to mirror their contemporary standing within UEFA competitions. It is therefore reasonable to assume that FIFA closely monitored pre-tournament performances and, on that basis, arrived at a broadly similar assessment of the leading candidates.
When I look at the pool of referees who remained available, I must candidly acknowledge that I regarded Slavko Vinčić as the most compelling choice for the final. Admittedly, he is a UEFA referee appointed to a UEFA/non-UEFA fixture, and his selection would make him the fourth European referee to officiate the fifth consecutive World Cup final. Beyond these observations, however, I see little of substance that would argue against his appointment.
Indeed, on balance, his nomination appears to rest on a stronger sporting and professional foundation than that of any other remaining candidate.
Totally agree!
DeleteBased on his tournament its deserved
ReplyDeleteA well-deserved and good appointment for the final. He put in strong performances in all three matches during the World Cup. Congratulations also to VAR Dankert—one of the best VARs in the world
ReplyDeleteWell done to Slavko Vincic : he’s an excellent referee who, I’m sure, will handle this final impeccably.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I don’t understand why FIFA automatically rejects referees whose national teams are in the semi-finals. You deprive yourself of many excellent referees, and Oliver and Turpin deserved this final more than Vincic IMO. UEFA kept Letexier in EURO 2024 and rewarded him with the final, although France reached the semi.
To all the critics: come on! This is a reasonable and logical appointment, especially since the French and the English are already home because of their nations reaching the semi-final. Vincic is experienced, did a lot of difficult matches in UCL, he is the safest pair of hands available. The only person that can be disappointed here is Danny Makkelie. I still consider him a far better and also even more experienced referee than Vincic, but he is being constantly overlooked since the EURO 2021 semifinal. But despite that, it's finally a sensible appointment, after the huge risks they took in the semifinals.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to Vincic! I guess this is possible as Spain have none (or very few?) players from Real Madrid in the squad.
ReplyDeleteFaghani would not have beem considered for the final ,because Trump will be presenting the medals and couldnt be seen with an Iranian.
ReplyDeleteAnd Bastian Dankert is overseeing another big final. Clearly the GOAT VAR for me…
ReplyDeleteAlso Massimiliano Irrati has achieved everything as VAR, WC Final, Euro Final, and UCL/UEL etc
DeleteIn the video posted by FIFA with the anoumcement, I think I saw there Pierre Atcho in the front row. But he wasn't on the list with referres retined for SFs and Fs.
ReplyDeleteCom toda a vênia escolha dele partiu da isenção porque mostra tem competência foi regular tangência, só meu ver poderiam ter colocado a Tatiana de var ela foi pra mim a melhor var da copa do mundo e junto com vestia isso pra mim mostra erro e outra o árbitro reserva que fez uma arbitragem abaixo ser escolhido reserva colocaria até o Wilton ou até mesmo Mariani sendo reserva isso mostra o que foi a copa do mundo desse ano arbitragem muito abaixo e resultado da final da disputa de terceiro lugar descrédito a arbitragem.
ReplyDeleteFinal VAR stats (VAR / AVAR1 / AVAR2)
ReplyDeletePacheco: 7 / 2 / 2
Gallo: 6 / 6 / 1
Lara: 6 /5 / 2
Gillett: 6 / 2 / 4
Guzman: 6 / 1 / 6
Brisard: 6 / 1 / 4
Dankert: 6 / 0 / 6
Gonzalez: 5 / 7 / 1
di Bello: 5 / 3 / 5
Al Marri: 5 / 2 / 4
Mastrangelo: 5 / 1 / 7
Villareal: 4 / 5 / 3
Soto: 4 / 3 / 4
Kwiatkowski: 4 / 1 / 7
del Cerro Grande: 4 / 0 / 9
Higler: 3 / 7 / 1
Bebek: 3 / 5 / 3
Dickerson: 3 / 3 / 5
Garcia: 2 / 7 / 1
Miranda: 2 / 6 / 0
van Driessche: 2 / 2 / 5
Ashour: 2 / 2 / 3
Alshehri: 2 / 1 / 5
Delajod: 1/ 9 / 0
Toski: 1 / 6 / 3
San: 1 / 5 / 2
Obaid: 1 / 5 / 2
El Fariq: 1 / 3 / 1
Fu: 1 / 2 / 4
Evans: 0 / 2 / 4
Any idea why the “big names” were rearely appointed as avar1 and instead almost always as avar2? (Danker, brisart,…)
Delete(Hopefully) all is well that ends well... Vincic is a great choice and undoubtedly one of the best referees in the world. He showed many times that he can just do it!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to BaDa being appointed as VAR. He's a great and funny guy who has been wisely chosen - having overseen the most important matches in football lately:
2026 Champions League Final
2025 Club WC Final
2025 Europa League Final
2024 UEFA Super Cup
2023 Europa League Final
2022 Conference League Final
2021 UEFA European Championships Final
... quite a career as a VAR....
My perspective is different to some comments above: Slavko Vincic has earned the World Cup final not only on merit, but what he has achieved is one of the most extraordinary feats that I can remember in the last forty or so years of top tournaments refereeing - his quality was such (this is not an MQ comment!!) that he became the only, ultimate logical choice for a final that FIFA would surely, in their perfect world, never have given him.
ReplyDeleteIt comes across as rather plain, to me, that there are two UEFA referees whom FIFA were very relaxed about the prospect of failing: Istvan Kovacs and Slavko Vincic. How they both reacted to this fact was diametrically opposed - Kovacs lost the plot in PSG-Atletico, rejected; Tunisia-Japan, unconvincing performance (+missed pen, not his fault) and taken out with the trash. Do people really not think, at the slightest opportunity, in either the Club WC or this WC, that FIFA wouldn’t have acted the same way with Vincic? They even did so in 2022! My view was always that FIFA’s view of the Slovenian in ’25 and ’26 was something vaguely approaching ‘grudging respect’.
Even setting aside Monterrey-River, which was the best performance of the Club WC, I don’t know how people cannot view these three appointments as anything other than sacrificed choices:
Brazil-Morocco (see ’98!)
Algeria-Jordan (Arab derby)
Mexico-Ecuador (@Mexico)
FIFA worked hard on (excellent) referees like Nyberg and Eskas in this cycle and, unless I’m going crazy, the expectation comes across very much like ‘it doesn’t really matter if we lose Vincic, we can use the new referees in the late stages’. It is the same thing as the matches they gave Mateu in 2022 - Marciniak was surely pre-ordained for the final (which he deserved, and excelled in), so the extrovert Spaniard was an extremely logical choice to sacrifice three times. I don’t know how people can read it as ‘Vincic’s run to the final was underwhelming’, it is like a counterfactual to me. Which game handled by a UEFA referee was approaching the difficulty of Mexico-Ecuador? Do people really think that the other names touted by people - Oliver, Turpin, Makkelie - would have succeeded in this game? It is no slight on those other three referees who are also excellent, by the way, but their level fell short of Vincic’s; sorry.
These stories in refereeing usually end the same way: Mateu ultimately stumbled in 2022, Michel also on his third hurdle in 2008; and even on the positive side, Aranda and Agnolin were used on a semifinals in their respective tournaments, not the showpiece. In the end, FIFA couldn’t feasibly appoint any other referee in 2026, so Vincic won the final not only fully on merit, but also from the outside lane.
You don’t have to be the no1 member of the Slavko Vincic fan club (tongue in cheek comment: we are open to accepting new members!) to appreciate that what has achieved is a remarkable feat which deserves huge credit. You can’t fluke the number of difficult games that he has solved in his career; in my opinion, he is the best football referee in the world at the present time.
To add: I don’t understand how appointing Vincic for the final changes the Infantino situation much. If anything, it was surely more liable to change before the final designation? What carrot does Infantino have now? What if UEFA now run the Polish guy anyway? It is a backwards explanation, in my view.
I'm not naive and there is a political background to not choosing Faghani for the final, but actually there is a clear technical one too:
DeleteDahane Beida in Austria-Jordan
Espen Eskas in Portugal-Croatia
Alireza Faghani in Mexico-England
Clement Turpin in Norway-England
'Two, and it is game over for you'. Some achievements are actually greater than the final (Argentina-Uruguay in '86, W.Germany-Spain in '82, Brazil-Chile in Brazil, maybe you can add the original USA-Iran too), and what Faghani did at Mexico City remains astonishing and more than deeply impressive to me. I would have quite happily signed off on his name for the final!
If Eskås was rejected by FIFA after 2 OFR, it was foolish, since the second OFR was not mandatory.
DeleteI think the appoinment of vincic is deserved because vincic is very experienced referee in uefa and his perfomance in world cup was good
ReplyDeleteBut the game in sunday is very difficult for him and every referee also
One of the most loyal refs of FIFAdisgrace. Increbibly poor in recent years, there are much better than him left and yet another criminal decision from destroyers of football. Really sad..
Delete"Caesar's wife must be above suspicion"
ReplyDelete