FIFA has handed one of football's biggest assignments to Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic, naming him as the match official for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain in New York on Sunday.

Fellow Slovenians Tomaz Klancnik and Andraz Kovacic will serve as his assistant referees.

The announcement was accompanied by an emotional moment, with Vincic visibly tearing up after receiving his referee kit, a recognition of a career that has taken him to the pinnacle of world football.

For Argentina fans, however, Vincic's appointment revives memories of one of the most shocking matches in the nation's recent football history.

He was the referee when Lionel Messi's side suffered a stunning 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia in their opening match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

That afternoon began exactly as Argentina had hoped. Vincic awarded an early penalty after a VAR review, allowing Messi to open the scoring from the spot.

Saudi Arabia, however, produced one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history with two quick second-half goals, ending Argentina's 36-match unbeaten run and sending shockwaves through the tournament.

Despite the setback, Messi and his teammates recovered to lift the World Cup weeks later.

Although Vincic's association with Argentina largely revolves around that famous upset, there has never been any major controversy over his decisions in the match.

Spain:

The result has nevertheless ensured his name remains familiar to Argentine supporters. Spain, meanwhile, have frequently had Vincic officiate their biggest international fixtures.

He has taken charge of several matches involving La Roja over the years, including European Championship and UEFA Nations League contests.

More recently, he refereed Spain's Euro 2024 victories over Italy and France, matches that featured teenage sensation Lamine Yamal.

At the ongoing World Cup, Vincic has already handled three matches. One of the talking points came during Mexico's clash against Ecuador, where he sent off defender Piero Hincapie after determining that his actions breached FIFA's code of conduct during an exchange with Santiago Gimenez.

Now entrusted with football's biggest stage, Vincic will once again find himself under intense scrutiny as Messi's Argentina chase another World Cup title against Spain.