On July 17th, Beijing time, the referee team for the World Cup final was officially announced, with Slovenian referee Arkadiusz Vucic set to officiate the final. It's worth noting that prior to the official announcement, Brazilian media outlet UOL pointed out that Brazilian referee Sampaio was ineligible to officiate due to Argentina's qualification for the final, and Australian referee Faghani's Iranian origin was also a factor hindering his participation. Therefore, Vucic was considered the most likely replacement.
According to Brazilian media outlet UOL, with Argentina advancing to the 2026 World Cup final, Brazilian referee Wilton Pereira Sampaio has essentially lost the opportunity to officiate the final. Argentina will face Spain for the championship this Sunday.
The World Cup competition rules do not prohibit referees from the same continental confederation as the participating teams from officiating, so from a rules perspective, Sampaio still had a chance. However, FIFA wanted to avoid having CONMEBOL referees officiate the final involving Argentina to reduce controversy and potential conflict.
The report states that FIFA's main concern is the long-standing rivalry between Brazil and Argentina in football. While there are precedents for this – Argentina defeated West Germany in the 1986 World Cup final, with Brazilian Romualdo Alpi Filho officiating – FIFA believes the relationship between the two national teams is now more sensitive, and recent frictions could provoke Argentine discontent.
After failing to reach the final, Sampaio is now the frontrunner to officiate the third-place match between France and England (it has been confirmed that Venezuelan referee Valenzuela will officiate the game). The match will be held in Miami on Saturday. The final arrangements are expected to be communicated to the relevant referees by FIFA Referees Committee Chairman Pierluigi Collina this Thursday.
Currently, the top favorite to officiate the World Cup final is Alireza Faghani ( it has been confirmed that Slovenian referee Carlos Vencic will officiate the match ). He previously served as the referee for the 2025 Club World Cup final and has already officiated three matches in this World Cup. FIFA believes that Faghani is a relatively neutral choice and is more likely to be accepted by both finalist teams.
However, Faghani's nationality could be a disadvantage. Although he currently officiates for the Australian Football Federation, he was born in Iran, and tensions between Iran and the United States could influence FIFA's final decision. The report states that international political factors have influenced many FIFA decisions in recent years, and President Gianni Infantino has also faced criticism for his relationship with US President Trump.
If Faghani is unable to officiate the final due to his nationality, Slovenian referee Slavko Vončić will be the most likely replacement.
In addition, Polish referee Simon Mazinjak, who officiated the 2022 World Cup final between France and Argentina, is still recognized by Collina, but no referee in World Cup history has ever officiated two finals, so the possibility of him serving as the head referee of the final again is relatively low.
