Slovenian referee in tears after being appointed to officiate the World Cup final VIDEO

FIFA released a video showing FIFA Refereeing Committee chairman and legendary Italian referee Pierluigi Collina informing Vinčić that he had been selected as the referee for the World Cup final.

The Slovenian referee reacted emotionally to the news that he had received the greatest honor of his career and could not hide his feelings, prompting numerous reactions on social media.

For the 46-year-old Vinčić, this represents the peak of his refereeing career.

He previously officiated the 2022 UEFA Europa League final, in which Eintracht Frankfurt defeated Rangers on penalties, as well as the 2024 UEFA Champions League final, where Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund.

Vinčić gained World Cup experience at the 2022 tournament in Qatar, and at this year’s World Cup he officiated the group-stage matches Brazil–Morocco and Jordan–Algeria, as well as the round-of-16 clash between Mexico and Ecuador.

His appointment also attracted attention because of the previous matches he has refereed involving the national teams of the two finalists.

Vinčić has refereed five matches involving Spain, four of them official fixtures, including Spain’s victory over France in the semi-final of UEFA Euro 2024 and their win against Italy in the 2023 UEFA Nations League semi-final.

In the final, he will be assisted by fellow Slovenes Tomaž Klančnik and Andraž Kovačić, while Jordanian referee Adam Mahahmed has been appointed as the fourth official.