Referee Slavko Vincic is becoming the center of controversy after twice failing to issue a yellow card to Alexis Mac Allister in the 2026 World Cup final.
The 2026 World Cup final between Argentina and Spain heated up early due to fierce collisions right from the opening minutes. The center of controversy belonged to Alexis Mac Allister, as the Argentine midfielder had two notable foul situations but did not receive a yellow card from referee Slavko Vincic in either.
The first play occurred when Mac Allister fouled Pedro Porro right on the edge of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez’s penalty area. This was a situation that caused the Spanish players to react, as the Liverpool midfielder tackled aggressively and halted a dangerous advance by the opponent.
Not long after that, in the 16th minute, Mac Allister continued with a hard tackle on Dani Olmo. The Spanish player lay on the pitch in pain, while referee Vincic only awarded La Roja a free kick without issuing any further individual sanction. This decision immediately caused major controversy.
Former English Premier League referee Graham Scott argued that Mac Allister should have received a clear yellow card. He assessed to The Athletic: “That was clearly a yellow card for reckless play. He went in too fast, then used his front foot and back foot to collide with the opponent. I am surprised because the fourth official had a perfect view, so he should have given appropriate advice”.
Not only experts, but many former England players also expressed their displeasure. Micah Richards argued that the referee’s decision could heavily influence how the rest of the match is run.
He said on BBC Sport: “We saw in the semifinal between Argentina and England how early decisions by the referee shaped the outcome of the match, and Alexis Mac Allister’s foul should have been a yellow card”.
Richards further emphasized: “This creates a dangerous precedent, because Argentina will feel they can play dirty against Spain without being punished”.
Alan Shearer also agreed, considering Mac Allister “very lucky” to escape a card. Meanwhile, Chris Sutton criticized more harshly: “That was a late foul. That had to be a yellow card, and guess what? The referee didn’t reach into his pocket to penalize at all”.
Sutton even likened Argentina’s style of play to being highly aggressive: “This is what Argentina usually do and what they are best at. They are a bunch of thugs in a bar”.
Vincic’s failure to card Mac Allister twice made the final even more tense. For a major match like the World Cup, early decisions can set a precedent, affecting the tempo, the level of challenges, and the emotions of both teams.
