Campanati Award for referee Vincic: "World Cup final an indescribable emotion"

Slovene referee Slavko Vincic received the Campanati Award at San Siro before Italy-France, reflecting on officiating the Spain-Argentina World Cup final as his final match before retirement.

Slavko Vincic, the Slovene referee who officiated the 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, received the seventh Campanati Award before Italy's Nations League match against France at San Siro. The 46-year-old revealed he had decided to retire before the tournament and chose the World Cup final as his last game.

"I needed time to recover," Vincic said. "At first it was a shock—so many emotions, tears in my eyes, my entire career and my family's sacrifices came to mind. I never expected to referee the final of the world's most-watched sporting event."

Vincic, who turns 47 on November 25, said the alignment was perfect: "I had already decided to stop before the World Cup given my age. It was my second World Cup, and I thought it was the right moment to close this journey and dedicate myself to my family. But that my last match would be the World Cup final—that's a dream come true, the stars aligned."

The award, now in its seventh edition, honours the memory of Giulio Campanati, the former FIFA and UEFA referee and AIA president (1972–1990). Vincic thanked his mentors Pierluigi Collina and Roberto Rosetti, who oversaw referees for FIFA and UEFA respectively, crediting them with teaching him what it means to be a professional referee.