World Cup 2026: After retiring, Slavko Vinčić recounts his face-off with Messi

Former Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić, who officiated the 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, opened up to the Slovenian daily Sport. In this interview, he looks back at the most memorable moments of this historic showdown.

What does the World Cup final referee think of Lionel Messi?

At 46 years old, Vinčić reflected on his exchange with Lionel Messi during the final. He also discussed the emotions he felt upon learning that FIFA had chosen him to officiate the greatest event in world football.

While he declined to reveal the details of their conversation, the former referee was full of praise for the Argentine captain's attitude.

"I prefer to keep that conversation on the pitch. However, I can say one thing: Messi showed great sportsmanship."

Vinčić also admitted that being appointed to referee the final was initially a huge surprise, before turning into one of the proudest moments of his career.

"I felt tremendous pride representing Slovenia at the world’s biggest sporting event. I was fully aware of the responsibility entrusted to us, and we wanted to live up to the confidence that FIFA had placed in us."

The former referee also spoke about the unique pressure surrounding a World Cup final.

"An entire refereeing career can be summed up in a single match."

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Mohamed Rek |

Editorfr, ar, en

Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.

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