Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčič announced his retirement from refereeing at the age of 46.
Slavko Vinčič officiated the 2026 World Cup final match between Spain and Argentina.
A statement issued by the Slovenian Football Association said: "A week after the World Cup final in the United States of America, Slavko Vinčič officially concluded his historic refereeing career at the pinnacle of the world".
Vinčič, aged 46, was selected as the best referee in the World Cup by both the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) and the Italian Referees Association (AIA), which awards the Giulio Campanati Prize given every two years to the best referee in every World Cup or European Championship.
Vinčič joined the elite group of referees affiliated with the Union of European Football Associations since 2019, and officiated matches at UEFA Euro 2020, as well as the 2024 semi-final match between Spain and Italy.
Slavko Vinčič officiated four matches in the 2026 World Cup.
