Cocaine, guns and ‘sex parties’: How FIFA World Cup final referee Slavko Vincic was raided by police Football News
FIFA has appointed Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic of Sunday’s 2026 World Cup final between defending champions Argentina and Spain, handing one of football’s most prestigious assignments to an official whose career has been marked by a bizarre off-field controversy after he was caught in a police raid on an alleged prostitution ring.The world governing body confirmed on Wednesday that Vincic will referee the title match at MetLife Stadium, with assistance from fellow Slovenians Tomas Kranic and Andráz Kovacic. Jordan’s Adem Mahadmeh will serve as fourth official, while Mohamed Alcalaf has been named reserve assistant referee. The appointment puts Vincic at the center of football’s biggest game, just six years after he made global headlines for reasons unrelated to the sport.
Police raids, cocaine and guns: The controversy that nearly overshadowed his career
According to the Daily Mail, Vincic was one of dozens of people arrested in May 2020 during a major police operation at a ranch near Bijeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Authorities raided a party that investigators said was linked to an alleged international prostitution ring.According to reports at the time, police detained 26 men and nine women, including Tijana Maksimovic, who investigators identified as the alleged organizer of the prostitution network. During the operation, police also seized four packages of cocaine, 10 pistols, three protective vests and more than 10,000 euros in various currencies.Maksimovich later pleaded guilty to charges related to international solicitation of prostitution and proposed a one-year prison sentence.However, Vincic was never charged with any criminal misconduct. Police questioned him only as a witness and released him after determining he had nothing to do with the alleged criminal activity.The Slovenian referee always maintained that he was invited to what he believed to be a legitimate business lunch.“I accepted the lunch invitation, which turned out to be my biggest mistake,” Vincic told Slovenian outlet Vecer after the incident. “I had no connection with the group that was arrested and detained, nor did my business partners. We were questioned as witnesses, and it turned out we didn’t even know them, and we were able to leave.”Vlado Sann, president of the Slovenian Football Referees Association, also publicly defended the official, insisting no charges were brought against him and describing the incident as “a series of unfortunate circumstances”.Despite the controversy, Vincic’s refereeing career continued to flourish, eventually being appointed to referee the 2024 Champions League final between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid.
A familiar face in Argentina
Sunday’s World Cup final is not the first time Vincic has officiated Argentina in football’s biggest tournament.His only previous World Cup appearance with Messi’s side came during the 2022 World Cup, when Argentina suffered one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history, losing 2-1 to Saudi Arabia in their opening group game, but recovered to lift the trophy.Vincic oversaw three matches at the ongoing World Cup, including Mexico’s round-of-32 victory over Ecuador, Brazil’s draw with Morocco and Algeria’s victory over Jordan.His appointment also comes as Argentina prepares to make history again after their dramatic semi-final victory over England. At the same time, the Spanish team defeated the French team 2-0, locking in the finals, and launched a wonderful showdown with the defending champion.
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