Referee Slavko Vincic, who recently retired from officiating, has opted to keep the details of his interaction with Lionel Messi during the 2026 FIFA World Cup final private. The Slovenian official oversaw the high-stakes match between Argentina and Spain, which proved to be one of the most demanding assignments of his career. Reflecting on his communication with the Argentine captain, Vincic stated that he would leave that conversation on the pitch, though he noted that Messi’s conduct throughout the game was both correct and sporting. Vincic remarked, “I knew that most of the work would involve managing the game: when to stop it and when to allow the action to continue.”
The match was a tense affair, featuring 45 fouls as Spain worked to break down a resilient Argentina defense. Vincic faced the significant pressure of managing a 120-minute contest where his decisions carried immense weight. During the second half of stoppage time, he issued a red card to midfielder Enzo Fernandez following a previous yellow card for dissent. The tournament run for Messi included a record nine-game scoring streak before the run ended in a 3-1 quarter-final victory over 10-man Switzerland. Messi also became the first player in 32 years to score his team's first five goals at a World Cup.
The final, held in New Jersey on July 19, was ultimately decided by a 106th-minute goal from Spanish substitute Ferran Torres. This result prevented Argentina from becoming the first team in 64 years to successfully defend their World Cup title, while Spain achieved the milestone of becoming the first nation to win the European Championship-World Cup double twice. For 39-year-old Lionel Messi, the tournament marked his sixth appearance at the World Cup. Despite the defeat, Messi concluded the competition with 8 goals and 22 goal contributions across his appearances. His campaign included becoming the oldest hat-trick scorer in tournament history and setting a record for the most prolific goal creator. Messi also achieved an 11-game run of goal contributions, which finally concluded with the loss to Spain.
There were 45 fouls in the game as a dominant La Roja side looked to pierce a determined La Albiceleste rearguard.Midfielder Enzo Fernandez received red in second-half stoppage time, having received a first yellow from Vincic for dissent.
Regarding his interaction with Messi, the Slovenian said (as per Cadena SER via Lented Sportiva):“My conversation with Messi?
