5 min readJul 19, 2026 08:00 PM IST
The stage is set for an epic grand finale to the FIFA World Cup 2026 as defending champions Argentina will clash with the resilient Spanish side, who are in hunt for their second world cup win since 2010. The match will take place at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, USA on July 19.
On Thursday, FIFA announced that the seasoned Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic will take charge of this historic spectacle.
Spain booked their place in the finals after a dominant display against two-time champions France in a 2-0 win, whereas the Argentines will enter the contest on the back of another sensational comeback victory, this time over England with a scoreline of 2-1, thanks to late goals from midfielder Enzo Fernandes and substitute Lautaro Martinez.
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The officiating team for this historic showdown consists of three Slovenian internationals and two Jordanians, which is:
Lead Referee: Slavko Vinčić (Slovenia)
Assistant Referee 1: Tomaž Klančnik (Slovenia)
Assistant Referee 2: Andraž Kovačič (Slovenia)
Fourth Official: Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan)
Reserve Assistant Referee: Mohammad Al-Kalaf (Jordan)
Know more about the referees for the Spain vs Argentina final
Slavko Vincic (Match Referee)
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The 47-year old Vincic earned his FIFA badge in 2010. He is regarded as one of the most experienced and respected referees in top flight football, as he has been consistently managing games in Continental and European games.
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He has officiated 72 matches in total in Europe’s top two elite competitions, that are the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. Has been involved in an Argentina game before, it was when he made his FIFA World Cup refereeing debut in 2022 in Qatar, when he officiated Argentina’s group-stage loss against Saudi Arabia.
This will be the fourth game of this World Cup for Vincic as he has already officiated the group-stage matches between Brazil and Morocco (1-1) and Jordan and Algeria (1-2), as well as the Round of 32 clash between Mexico and Ecuador (2-0). Vincic came under the spotlight after he sent off Ecuador defender Piero Hincapié (Vincic’s first red card of the career) under the anti-discrimination protocol widely referred to as the “Vinícius” Law.
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This year, he officiated the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, where he infamously sent off French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga in the 86th minute after showing him a second yellow card for an innocuous challenge on Harry Kane when Madrid were leading 3-2 at the Allianz Arena – with the tie level at 4-4 and heading for extra time.
Prior to that, Vincic officiated the 2022 UEFA Europa League final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers and the UEFA Champions League final in 2024, when Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund.
Tomaz Klancnik and Andraz Kovacic (Assistant Referees)
Tomaz Klancnik has been a listed FIFA official since 2016. He has officiated many games in the Turkish league as well as in UEFA club competitions. The 43-year old brings a lot of experience to the game. He has run the lines in all the three games which Vincic has officiated so far in the World Cup, as the duo have also managed the European competitions’ finals together.
Andraz Kovacic has been running the opposite touchline alongside Klančnik for years, from the domestic leagues to the international stage. He has been listed with FIFA as an international assistant referee since 2018. The 40-year old Slovenian is highly regarded for his precision from the touchline while managing offsides in high tempo games.
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Klancnik and Kovacic have been running lines alongside Vincic for a long time now.
Adham Makhadmeh (Fourth Official)
The Jordan international Makadmeh has been a listed official with FIFA since 2013. He became the very first Jordanian referee to ever officiate a men’s FIFA World Cup match this year. He serves as one of the premier elite referees within the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The final is his fifth assignment of this World Cup after previously managing games between Spain and Cape Verde, New Zealand and Belgium , England and DR Congo (Round of 32), and Belgium and USA (Round of 16).
Mohammad Al-Kalaf (Reserve Assistant Referee)
Al-Kalaf has been a listed official with FIFA since 2017. He serves as a top-tier assistant referee in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). He has been regularly officiating with Makhadmeh this World Cup.
Written by Madhav Sachdeva, an intern with the online sports desk.
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