The 2026 World Cup continues to generate discussion long after the final whistle. Spain are champions following their victory over Argentina in the final, sealed by a Ferran Torres goal in the 106th minute. One of the central figures of the match was referee Slavko Vincic, who received criticism for his performance. The Slovenian official broke his silence to address what happened during the match, specifically regarding his conversation with Lionel Messi.
According to Diario Ole, the former referee, who recently announced his retirement from soccer, preferred not to reveal details about his exchange with Messi. “My chat with Messi? I will leave that conversation on the pitch,” Vincic said. “But I can say that he behaved in a sportsmanlike manner.”
The final produced several images that continued to generate discussion after the match, including the exchange between Messi and Vincic. That is why the official spoke out to clarify that nothing contentious occurred.
The high intensity of a final
Vincic knew the magnitude of the encounter and understood the work required to manage the match correctly. Beyond the minor criticism, it was a relatively fluid game. While there were a few altercations, most were driven by Argentina‘s desperation, and Vincic managed them well.
Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina looks dejected.
“The responsibility is massive when your entire refereeing career comes down to a single match,” Vincic said. “I knew most of the job would consist of managing the game: when to stop it and when to let the action continue.”
“It is the World Cup final. The mindset and the reactions of the players are different, and given the importance of the match, you have to understand everything. The biggest challenge is managing everything correctly during the game.”
Recognition through a lack of controversy
For the Slovenian official, one of the main indicators that his strategy worked was that the refereeing did not become the central topic after the match. Vincic believed his team found the right approach to control the game and praised the work of his assistants Tomaz Klancnik and Andraz Kovacic, whom he described as a second family after sharing numerous tournaments, training sessions, and camps.
“We were not a topic of conversation after the match, which shows we did our job well overall,” Slavko Vincic said. “I believe our refereeing strategy was the right one.“
