Meet the referee chosen to referee the World Cup final

Slovenian Slavko Vincic, 46, was chosen to referee the match. He will have compatriots Tomaz Klancnik and Andraz Kovacic as assistants. The fourth referee will be Adham Makhadmeh from the United Arab Emirates, while Mohammad Alkalaf will act as a reserve assistant.

The match officials for @FIFAWorldCup Final have been appointed. ?

This will be Vincic's fourth match at the World Cup. The referee made his debut in the competition in the 1-1 draw between Brazil and Morocco, still in the group stage. Afterwards, he led Algeria's 2-1 victory over Jordan and Mexico's 2-0 victory against Ecuador, in the round of 32.

With experience in major international competitions, the Slovenian also makes important decisions in European football. Among them is the Champions League final of the 2023/24 season, won by Real Madrid over Borussia Dortmund.

Despite his consolidated CV, Vincic was also involved in a high-profile episode off the pitch. In 2020, he was detained during a police operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina investigating a prostitution, weapons trafficking and drug trafficking ring.

At the time, police seized cocaine, weapons, medicines and around 10 thousand euros in cash. The referee testified as a witness, was released during the investigation and was never charged. He was later cleared by authorities.

Break of up to 30 minutes in the World Cup final causes outrage on the web

The musical performance planned for the decision between Spain and Argentina could extend the interval to up to 30 minutes, above the limit foreseen by Ifab, and still raises doubts among broadcasters and teams about the total duration of the stoppage.