Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić has been appointed to officiate a World Cup final that could write fresh history, as holders Argentina aim to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back titles against an unbeaten European champion.
Key takeaways
- Argentina and Spain will face off at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, with kickoff scheduled for 8pm Nigerian time.
- Spain enter the match on a run of 37 games without defeat and are unbeaten in the tournament with six clean sheets.
- Argentina are scoring in every game at the tournament but have failed to record a shutout in their last five matches.
- Vinčić will become the first Slovenian to referee a World Cup final, and only the 23rd official to do so in the competition’s history.
- VAR duties for the final will be handled by Bastian Dankert, with Adham Makhadmeh named as the fourth official.
Final at MetLife Stadium: the stakes and the storylines
Sunday’s showpiece is set to be football’s biggest prize, with Argentina meeting Spain at MetLife Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 8pm Nigerian time, as the reigning world champions and South American title holders take on a European side that has remained unbeaten across 37 consecutive matches.
Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina are pursuing a fourth World Cup trophy and the first back-to-back championship by any nation since Brazil’s success in 1962. Spain, led by Luis de la Fuente, are chasing a second World Cup crown, 16 years on from their first triumph in South Africa.
There is also a personal element to the matchup. Scaloni has spoken about de la Fuente as a mentor from their time working within Spanish football’s coaching education system. The pair connected at the academy in Las Rozas, where de la Fuente served as a tutor and Scaloni was one of his students in 2017, soon after Scaloni finished his playing career.
After Spain’s semi-final win, Scaloni looked ahead to facing his former teacher on the sport’s biggest stage. “He’s a great bloke,” Scaloni said, adding that he wanted the chance to catch up with de la Fuente once the final was over, regardless of the result.
Form, tournament records and the head-to-head
Spain arrive in New Jersey having limited France in their semi-final to a low Expected Goals output, prevailing 2-0. Their win was built around a penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal and a goal from Pedro Porro, pushing Spain’s unbeaten streak to 37 matches. The victory also extended their tournament haul of clean sheets to six, a mark described as a tournament record.
If Spain win on Sunday, they will set the longest unbeaten run in the history of senior men’s football, overtaking the record held by Italy’s Euro 2020-winning side.
Argentina, in contrast, have been less clinical defensively in this tournament. They have not kept a clean sheet in their last five matches, yet they have still scored in every game. Their attacking output has reached 19 goals, the highest total in the tournament.
Lionel Messi played a decisive role in the semi-final comeback against England, creating both goals. He teed up Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez as Argentina completed a fightback from behind to secure passage to the final.
On previous meetings, Spain hold the advantage in the head-to-head record across the 21st century. Spain have won three of four encounters, including a 6-1 win in a friendly in 2018.
Refereeing appointment: Vinčić to lead the final
FIFA has appointed Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić, aged 46, to take charge of the final. The match will be a landmark moment for Slovenian officiating, as it marks the first time a referee from Slovenia has been selected to referee a World Cup final. It will also be only the 23rd time an official has been given that responsibility in the tournament’s history.
Vinčić’s team will include Tomaž Klančnik and Andraž Kovačič as assistant referees. Jordan’s Adham Makhadmeh has been named as the fourth official, while Bastian Dankert will operate VAR.
Vinčić said the appointment, which was personally delivered by FIFA Chief Refereeing Officer Pierluigi Collina, felt overwhelming. “First of all, it was a surprise. Then came the joy,” Vinčić said. “It’s an incredible honour to referee a World Cup final.”
In terms of World Cup experience involving the two finalists, Vinčić has overseen five previous matches involving Spain. His record in those games includes two draws and three victories, and the list features Spain’s 2-1 Euro 2024 semi-final triumph over France. However, he has officiated only one Argentina match at World Cup level: a 2-1 group-stage loss to Saudi Arabia in 2022, in which he awarded the eventual champions an early penalty that Messi converted.
World Cup final winning coaches (historical list)
The following are the World Cup finals and winning managers listed in the source:
- 2022 — Argentina — Lionel Scaloni
- 2018 — France — Didier Deschamps
- 2014 — Germany — Joachim Löw
- 2010 — Spain — Vicente del Bosque
- 2006 — Italy — Marcello Lippi
- 2002 — Brazil — Luiz Felipe Scolari
- 1998 — France — Aimé Jacquet
- 1994 — Brazil — Carlos .A. Parreira
- 1990 — Germany — Franz Beckenbauer
- 1986 — Argentina — Carlos Bilardo
- 1982 — Italy — Enzo Bearzot
- 1978 — Argentina — César Menotti
- 1974 — Germany — Helmut Schön
- 1970 — Brazil — Mario Zagallo
- 1966 — England — Sir Alf Ramsey
- 1962 — Brazil — Aymoré Moreira
- 1958 — Brazil — Vicente Feola
- 1954 — Germany — Sepp Herberger
- 1950 — Uruguay — Juan López
- 1938 — Italy — Vittorio Pozzo
- 1934 — Italy — Vittorio Pozzo
- 1930 — Uruguay — Alberto Suppici
