Sports Reporter
NEW YORK — FIFA’s Chief Refereeing Officer Pierluigi Collina has officially appointed Slovenian official Slavko Vinčić to referee the highly anticipated 2026 FIFA World Cup Final between Argentina and Spain at MetLife Stadium this Sunday.
While the 46-year-old broke down in tears of joy upon hearing the news, the announcement has instantly reignited a wave of controversy.
Vinčić’s appointment drags one of football’s most sensational scandals back into the global spotlight: his 2020 arrest during a police raid on a luxury ranch hosting a drug- and weapon-fueled sex party.
In May 2020, during the height of global lockdowns, Bosnian police launched a massive raid on a property in Bijeljina. The operation targeted a suspected international prostitution, drug trafficking and money laundering ring led by Tijana Maksimović.
The scene police uncovered was straight out of a crime thriller.
Officers confiscated 14 packets of cocaine, ten handguns, three suits of body armor, and over €10,000 in cash.
Police also detained 9 women and 26 men, including the prominent Champions League referee Slavko Vinčić.
While Vinčić was handcuffed and arrested, he maintained his absolute innocence from the beginning. He explained that he had traveled to Bosnia for business meetings and accepted a casual invitation to lunch at the ranch, having no idea what was actually taking place.
”After a meeting with some business partners, there was an invitation to a party at a ranch to which we responded,” Vinčić explained to Slovenian media at the time.
“After the police raid we were invited to an informative interview, where I explained that I did not know these people at all. Afterwards they gave me the green light to return home to Slovenia.”
Though Bosnian authorities quickly cleared Vinčić of any wrongdoing, releasing him to act solely as a witness, the head of the Slovenian Referees’ Association, Vlado Šajn, warned at the time:
“The stain on his reputation could damage his refereeing career.”
Against all odds, Vinčić did not let the scandal define his career. Since that fateful night in Bosnia, he has systematically climbed the ranks of elite European officiating, earning UEFA’s complete trust. He refereed the 2022 Europa League Final and reached a career-high by taking charge of the 2024 Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.
Upon learning he would take charge of Sunday’s World Cup showpiece, Vinčić was visibly overwhelmed, weeping during his official FIFA interview.
”First of all, a shock. Then happiness. I was shaking, so it’s an incredible honour to get to the World Cup final. It’s something that… it’s only a dream for a referee, for a young referee when they start.”
Vinčić’s appointment adds has caused uproar to a World Cup already defined by intense spotlight and geopolitical divides.
Argentine fans greeted Vinčić’s appointment with immediate trepidation. The only other time he refereed the Albiceleste was in 2022, when he oversaw their shocking, earth-shattering 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia in Qatar.
In contrast, Spain views the Slovenian favorably, as he was the referee for their crucial Euro 2024 semi-final victory over France.
With the eyes of the entire world fixed on New Jersey this Sunday, Slavko Vinčić will have to block out the ghosts of his past to manage what promises to be an explosive clash for football’s ultimate crown.
