Vincic insists Enzo Fernandez red card in Spain v Argentina World Cup final was ‘correct’ and reveals pride at handling showpiece

Slavko Vincic says he has no regrets over sending off Enzo Fernandez in the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, insisting the decision was “correct” and drew no serious protest from the South American side.

The Slovenian referee, who has since retired at the age of 46, spoke openly for the first time about the biggest match of his career in an interview with Spanish newspaper Sport, reflecting on a goalless final that went to 120 minutes and was marked by contrasting styles and a high-profile dismissal.

Vincic described the clash as a demanding assignment because of “the huge contrast” between the two teams, explaining that Spain were intent on dominating the ball while Argentina were more focused on disrupting play. That difference, he suggested, made game management particularly complex over two hours of football.

The pivotal incident, in his view, was the sending-off of Fernandez, who received a second yellow card. Vincic stressed that, in his assessment, the call was entirely justified.

He said the Argentine camp ultimately accepted the decision, noting that he did not face any significant confrontation or prolonged protest from the players or technical staff after producing the red card.

Messi conversation stays on the pitch

The moment that drew the most attention worldwide, however, was not the red card itself but Vincic’s on-pitch exchange with Argentina captain Lionel Messi.

The referee declined to divulge what was said between them, but he strongly defended Messi’s attitude and behaviour throughout the final.

“My conversation with Messi? I will leave that on the pitch,” Vincic said. “But I can say that he behaved with great sportsmanship and acted completely correctly.”

His remarks were widely interpreted as confirmation that the forward accepted his decisions and did not attempt to influence him in the way many stars might seek to do in such a high-stakes contest.

Vincic added that the mental and emotional context of a World Cup final inevitably affects how players react – and how referees must interpret those reactions.

“It is the World Cup final. The mentality of the players and their reactions are different,” he explained. “Given the importance of the match, you have to understand everything. We were not the subject of discussion after the game, and that is proof that we did our job well. I think our refereeing strategy was the right one.”

‘Your whole refereeing history stops on one match’

Looking back on the pressure surrounding the occasion, Vincic admitted that the magnitude of the final weighed heavily on him and his team.

“The responsibility is enormous when your entire refereeing history stops on one match,” he said. “I knew that most of the work would be about managing the game – when to stop it and when to let play go on.”

The former FIFA referee also revealed he had not anticipated being appointed to the sport’s showpiece fixture.

“At first I was surprised,” he said of receiving the call to take charge of the final. “But then I felt proud of our team, which would represent Slovenia on this important stage, at the biggest sporting event in the world.”

Vincic’s controversial past

Vincic did not shy away from addressing a notorious off-field incident earlier in his career, when he was arrested in a lodge in Bosnia and Herzegovina alongside 25 other people in a case linked by local authorities to prostitution and the trafficking of weapons and drugs.

He again denied any connection to criminal activity and described his presence there as a grave personal misjudgement.

“I have nothing to do with that,” he said. “I accepted a lunch invitation and it turned out to be the biggest mistake I made. I regret it.”

Despite that episode and the intense scrutiny attached to the World Cup final, Vincic maintained that his performance in the match – and particularly the decision to dismiss Enzo Fernandez – stands up to examination, and he remains convinced he and his team handled football’s grandest stage in the right way.