Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić has been appointed to officiate the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup between Argentina and Spain. The match will take place at the New York-New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, July 19, and will be the first time an official representative from Slovenia will lead such a major football match.
The 46-year-old Vinčić stated that this appointment was a complete surprise for him, calling it an 'incredible honor.' After receiving information about the decision from the FIFA Chief Refereeing Officer and Chairman of the Referees Committee Pierluigi Collina, Vinčić initially felt disbelief. He shared his feelings, saying: 'First of all, shock. Then happiness. I was trembling. To receive an invitation to the FIFA World Cup final is an incredible honor.'
He noted that officiating at the World Cup final has been a dream for referees since the beginning of their careers, adding that he and his team are very proud. Vinčić becomes the 23rd referee in history to officiate a FIFA World Cup final and the first Slovenian to receive this honor. He emphasized his pride in representing his country, Slovenia, at the world's largest sporting event, noting that his team is also proud and will do its best.
During the current tournament, Vinčić has already overseen matches involving Brazil versus Morocco, Jordan versus Algeria, and Mexico's Round of 32 game against Ecuador. He also expressed gratitude to assistant referees Tomaz Klančič and Andraž Kovačič, stating that officiating is built on teamwork, and reaching the World Cup final would have been impossible without them.
Vinčić possesses significant experience, including his second participation in the FIFA World Cup after officiating two matches at the 2022 tournament in Qatar. Furthermore, he has refereed several important European matches, such as the UEFA Europa League final in 2022 between 'Eintracht Frankfurt' and 'Rangers,' and the 2024 UEFA Champions League final between 'Borussia Dortmund' and 'Real Madrid.' His experience also includes officiating at Euro 2020 and Euro 2024, including the semi-final between France and Spain, as well as matches at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
Jordanian Adham Mahadmeh will also participate in the final, taking the position of fourth referee, and his compatriot Mohammed Al-Kalaf will serve as a reserve assistant referee.
The duo Rishi Roopnarain and Vic Naidoo achieved a convincing victory in the first regional stage of the World Series of Thunee tournament, held in Midrand, Gauteng. They secured a decisive 3-1 win against former teammates Jonathan Nayar and Saeshan Pillay, with scores of 12-3, 12-5, and 12-5.
This victory not only secured them the regional title and a share of the prize fund amounting to 50,000 rounds for Gauteng but also guaranteed their participation in the long-awaited national playoffs.
Roopnarain noted that the team's success was achieved through patience and tactical execution, rather than risky plays. He emphasized that they developed a strategy aimed at quickly gaining an advantage and preventing opponents from building momentum. Furthermore, the team plays unconventionally, capable of winning even with a poor hand, and possesses high card counting proficiency.
The tournament's expansion into the interior of the country marks significant progress for this cult card game, which is rapidly expanding its presence across South Africa. Initially a pastime among working-class Indian communities in South Africa, Thunee is transforming from informal home games into a highly structured national competition.
Following successful opening rounds in Chatsworth and Durban, the Gauteng stage gathered 32 pairs. During this event, the Gauteng Thunee Association was officially established. Tournament director Jaya Naidoo explained that this administrative achievement will serve as a model for growth in other provinces and lay the foundation for a unified South African Thunee Association.
Naidoo added that the tournament demonstrated a high level of competitiveness, strategic skill, and sportsmanship, while also highlighting the cultural heritage of Thunee. The next stop is KwaZulu-Natal, where the grand finals will take place on September 5, 2026. At this national event, the best qualified participants will compete for an impressive prize fund of 250,000 rounds, and the first official national champion will receive 150,000 rounds.
At the 12th Asian Junior Championship on Saturday, Iran defeated Thailand with a score of 17:8.
Prior to this, Iran started its campaign with a loss to Japan with a score of 17:11, which took place on Friday. On Sunday, the Iranian team will play a match against Hong Kong.
The competition is being held in Bangkok, Thailand, and will run from July 17 to July 25, 2026. The tournament includes disciplines such as swimming, diving, volleyball, and rhythmic gymnastics. The best young athletes from all over Asia gather on the continental stage to compete, inspire each other, and realize their dreams.
Olhar Digital released the complete schedule of football matches set for Saturday, July 18, 2026, detailing where and at what times the games will be broadcast, with a special focus on World Cup and Série B matches.
As part of the 2026 World Cup, there will be a match between France and England, scheduled for 6 PM. This game will be broadcast on TV Globo, SBT, sportv, N Sports, CazéTV, and ge tv channels.
The 2026 Série B will feature four matches scheduled for this Saturday (Brasília time). Ponte Preta will face Goiás at 4 PM, broadcast on RedeTV! and Disney+. Another game, Sport versus Operário/PR, will take place at 4 PM, shown only on Disney+. Additionally, Criciúma will play against Vila Nova at 4 PM, covered by ESPN 4 and Disney+, and Atlético/GO will host Athletic at 6 PM, transmitted by Disney+.
In the 2026 Paulista Women's Championship, Palmeiras and São Paulo will face each other at 10:30 AM, exclusively broadcast on the sportv channel.
Regarding TV Globo, the portal reported that the France vs. England match from the 2026 World Cup will be broadcast by TV Globo to all states in Brazil at 6 PM.
The text also addresses the growing popularity of accessing national and international championships via the internet in Brazil. Thanks to technological advancements, it has become very simple to follow live and online football games, whether using a mobile phone or a computer, following the same pattern as other content such as movies and series available on streaming services.
