Infantino je bil vznemirjen zaradi njegove izbire: drastična odločitev sodnika, ki je v finalu svetovnega prvenstva izgnal argentinskega igralca

Slavko Vincic, a Slovenian referee, concluded his professional career with a controversial decision during the final match of the 2026 World Cup held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The game took place on July 19 at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, pitting Spain against Argentina. Vincic's call to send off Argentine star Enzo Fernandez and disallow a goal by Spanish player Nico Williams in extra time sparked widespread debate. He officially announced his retirement from refereeing on Monday, just eight days after the final. Vincic’s career reached its peak with the final of the 2026 World Cup, which marked the end of his tenure as a top-level referee. The Slovenian Football Association confirmed his retirement, highlighting that he had directed the final of the World Cup between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, solidifying his status among the greatest referees in history. His performance earned him recognition from the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS), declaring him the best referee of the tournament, and he was awarded the prestigious Giulio Campanati Prize in Italy. The Slovenian Football Association also reviewed Vincic's career highlights, including officiating the 2022 Europa League final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Glasgow Rangers in Seville, the controversial loss of Argentina to Saudi Arabia in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and the contentious quarter-final clash between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the last Champions League, where he sent off Eduardo Camavinga and Arda Guler. Vincic's appointment as the main referee for the 2026 World Cup final generated surprise globally. According to international media reports, Pierluigi Collina, head of refereeing at FIFA, selected Vincic following concerns over the transparency of refereeing decisions in the World Cup, particularly after several controversial calls favoring Argentina. These decisions were allegedly influenced by Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, who is Collina's superior. Collina defended himself against allegations of bias, stating that no one could claim the FIFA refereeing system was influenced by anyone, even the president of FIFA. His statement gained significance later when he chose Vincic for the most important match of the year. At that point, Infantino faced intense criticism worldwide. For instance, The New York Times reported that following the case involving Folarin Balogun and the influence of U.S. President Donald Trump, several European football associations began exploring potential candidates to replace Infantino. One of these candidates was Aleksander Ceferin, president of UEFA, who, coincidentally, is Slovenian, just like Vincic. It is notable that Collina appointed a referee from the same country as the president of UEFA, considering the strained relationship between Infantino and Ceferin. Mundo Deportivo noted this coincidence. In the final, Vincic sent off the Argentine player Enzo Fernandez and disallowed a highly controversial goal by Spanish player Nico Williams in extra time, leading to Spain's 1-0 victory over Argentina led by Lionel Messi. Eight days later, Vincic decided to retire from refereeing. On Monday, Gianni Infantino strongly defended the 2026 World Cup against numerous criticisms he received. He stated that those criticizing the tournament were so consumed by hatred and criticism that they missed everything else.