Cocaine, weapons and “sex parties”: How the final referee of the World Cup Slavko Vincic was caught during a police raid

Referee Slavko Vincic from Slovenia (AP Photo) FIFA has appointed Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic to officiate Sunday’s 2026 World Cup final between defending champions Argentina and Spain, handing one of football’s most prestigious jobs to an official whose career once survived a bizarre off-field controversy after he was caught in a police raid on a suspected prostitution ring.The world governing body confirmed on Wednesday that Vincic will referee the title clash at MetLife Stadium, assisted by fellow Slovenians Tomaz Klancnik and Andraz Kovačic. Adham Makhadmeh of Jordan will serve as the fourth official, while Mohammad Alkalaf has been appointed as the substitute assistant referee. The appointment puts Vincico at the center of football’s biggest game just six years after he grabbed world headlines for reasons far removed from the sport.

Police raids, cocaine and guns: Controversy that almost overshadowed his career

According to a Daily Mail report, in May 2020 Vincic was among dozens of people detained during a major police operation at a ranch near Bijeljina in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Authorities raided what investigators described as a gathering linked to an alleged international prostitution ring.According to reports at the time, the police detained 26 men and nine women, including Tijana Maksimovic, whom investigators identified as the alleged organizer of the prostitution ring. Officers also seized four packages of cocaine, 10 pistols, three body armor and more than €10,000 in various currencies during the operation.Maksimovic later pleaded guilty to charges related to international solicitation of prostitution with a proposed one-year prison sentence.However, Vincic was never charged with any crime. Police interviewed him only as a witness before releasing him after determining he had no connection to the alleged criminal activity.The Slovenian referee consistently maintained that he had been invited to what he believed to be a legitimate working lunch.“I accepted the lunch invitation, which turned out to be my biggest mistake,” Vincic told Slovenian outlet Vecer after the incident. “I have nothing to do with the group that was arrested and detained, nor did my business partners. We were questioned as witnesses, and when it turned out that we didn’t even know them, we were allowed to go.”The president of the Association of Football Referees of Slovenia, Vlado Sajn, also publicly defended the official, insisting that no proceedings had been opened against him and calling the episode a “web of unfortunate circumstances”.Despite the controversy, Vincico’s refereeing career continued to flourish, culminating in his appointment to the 2024 UEFA Champions League final between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid.

A familiar face for Argentina

Sunday’s World Cup final will not be Vincico’s first experience of Argentina playing at football’s biggest tournament.His only previous World Cup match with Lionel Messi’s side came during the 2022 edition, when Argentina suffered one of the biggest upsets in the tournament’s history, losing 2-1 to Saudi Arabia in their opening group stage match before recovering to lift the trophy.At the ongoing World Cup, Vincic oversaw three matches, including Mexico’s last-32 win over Ecuador, Brazil’s draw against Morocco and Algeria’s win over Jordan.His appointment also comes as Argentina prepare for another shot at history after a dramatic semi-final comeback against England. Meanwhile, Spain booked their place in the final with a comprehensive 2-0 win over France, setting up a sensational showdown with the defending champions.