Slavko Vincic has officially ended his refereeing career one week after the World Cup final in the USA. The Slovenian FA confirmed the retirement in an official statement, after he took charge of the final between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford.
Retirement after the final
The timing is what makes this stand out. One week after handling the biggest game of the tournament, Vincic is out of the game entirely. That is a sharp exit for a referee whose farewell season had already carried unusual weight.
The Slovenian FA’s own wording underlines that point. It said he had officially concluded his historic refereeing career at the very top of the world. The final itself was his last major appointment.
The final’s aftermath is still open
The story does not end with retirement, because FIFA opened an investigation after the post-match melee following the final. The incident involving Leandro Paredes remains unresolved, and the article says there has been no conclusive verdict yet. Piero Hincapié also features in the broader disciplinary backdrop from the tournament.
Vincic’s exit is still the main news. He became the first Slovenian head referee to officiate a World Cup final, and the International Federation of Football History and Statistics named him the best referee of the World Cup. Those are the career markers that sit alongside the abrupt timing of his retirement.
What happens next is on FIFA’s side, not his. The investigation into the melee is still open, and the final’s official record is still carrying that unresolved aftermath.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
