Se retiró Salvko Vincic, árbitro final 2026, y crecen las conspiraciones

(Regional 97.3) Slavko Vincic, the referee of the 2026 World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, retired from professional refereeing, a move that has fueled conspiracy theories about the match. The 46‑year‑old Slovenian judge ended his career just days after officiating the World Cup final in New Jersey, United States.

The Football Association of Slovenia confirmed the news through a brief statement on its website: “One week after the World Cup final in the United States, Slavko Vincic officially concluded his historic refereeing career at the top of the world.” Following that publication, speculation about what happened in the match has intensified.

In addition to the title match, Vincic officiated three other games in the 2026 World Cup: the 1‑1 draw between Brazil and Morocco in the debut, the 2‑1 victory of Algeria over Jordan in the same Group J as Argentina, and the 2‑0 win of Mexico against Ecuador in the round of 16, when he sent off Ecuadorian defender Piero Hincapié for covering his mouth.

Of the last 15 World Cup matches, the Argentine national team lost only two, and both were precisely with the Slovenian on the field. The one prior to the final against Spain was the 1‑2 loss to Saudi Arabia in the opening match of the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Beyond the logical praise he received in his home country, the final featured some controversial decisions. The first yellow card shown to Enzo Fernández was completely avoidable, and he did not caution any Spanish player despite “La Roja” committing 21 fouls during the 120 minutes. In contrast, Argentina received five yellow cards and one red card for 25 infractions committed.

Slavko Vincic, the controversial referee of the final between Argentina and Spain, has retired.

Vincic was detained as part of an investigation into prostitution, arms trafficking and drug trafficking. The referee was found together with 25 other people and nine women in a cabin in Bijeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The operation was carried out because investigators were advancing on a network of illegal activities.

According to his explanation at the time, the referee arrived at the place after an invitation from an acquaintance. “I have nothing to do with that. I accepted an invitation to lunch, which turned out to be my biggest mistake. I regret it,” he said. About the moment the security agents arrived, he recalled: “I was sitting at a table with my companion, suddenly the police arrived and what happened happened.” The operation resulted in the seizure of a considerable amount of cocaine, firearms, bulletproof vests and a significant sum of cash.

The referee stated that he was unaware of the activities taking place at the location and, after no evidence was found against him, he was released. However, Vincic’s name remained forever associated with the investigation, although his innocence allowed him to continue his international refereeing career. The Football Association of Slovenia supported his version and assured that the referee was “in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

The judicial investigation determined that the main person responsible for the organization was a woman who had been intercepted trying to cross the border into Croatia along with other people. The evidence gathered by the Bosnian justice system did not allow any connection to be established between Vincic and the illegal activities, so the case was definitively closed regarding the referee’s figure.

Almost six years after that episode, the Slovenian referee went on to officiate the 2026 World Cup final in which Argentina lost to Spain, a match that also included the expulsion of Enzo Fernández. Curiously, Argentina committed 24 fouls and received five yellow cards, while Spain committed 21 infractions but none saw a yellow card.

Comments on social media indicate that there was an “anti‑Argentina” campaign, mainly from Europe, after it was claimed that “Gianni Infantino’s FIFA gifted him the 2022 World Cup because of Messi’s presence,” with penalties awarded that according to them were not fouls. Envy and resentment over “La Scaloneta’s” four titles in just three years did the rest. Later, before the final against Spain, a video of Lionel Messi’s pep talk went viral, showing him seemingly disheartened, asking his teammates to “forget everything” and focus only on playing before the match.

But it did not end there, as some journalists went further. They said that because Infant