The appointment of the referee had already raised questions before the match. Confirmed by FIFA just days before the final, Vinčić arrived at the decisive match having officiated only one knockout match in the tournament (Mexico-Ecuador in the Round of 16), a situation that caught the attention of various media. Additionally, the World Cup had already been marked by criticism of the refereeing, with complaints from several teams regarding the disciplinary criteria applied during the competition.
In the decisive match, there were several actions that fueled the controversy. One of the most significant came at the end of regular time with the expulsion of Enzo Fernández. The midfielder received a second yellow card after a serious foul on Pau Cubarsí. However, the greatest controversy centered on the first warning: Enzo had been penalized for protesting after claiming a foul by Rodri that the referee did not call, a decision that the Argentine camp considered excessive and that ultimately affected the outcome of the final.
Enzo Fernández received a red card for a first yellow that should not have been sanctioned
From the Argentine side, there were also strong criticisms regarding the referee's disciplinary criteria. One of those pointed out was Álex Baena, who committed several fouls during the match without receiving any cards, a situation that generated complaints about a supposed unequal treatment in the application of sanctions.
This can also be reflected in the match statistics: Spain committed 21 fouls and received no yellow cards, while Argentina accumulated 24 fouls, 5 yellow cards, and 1 red card.
At the end of regular time, a clash between Marc Cucurella and Lionel Messi also came under scrutiny. The Spanish full-back spoke to the Argentine captain while covering his mouth, a gesture that can be penalized with expulsion in this World Cup if hidden insults are proven under the new Prestianni Law. Messi immediately called for a red card, the referee stopped the game, but decided not to review the action on the monitor and Cucurella remained on the field until the end.
Cucurella spoke to Messi with his mouth covered and did not see red
Vinčić's decisions reignited the debate over the application of the new refereeing protocols and the use of VAR in decisive actions. While there were criticisms from Argentina regarding the difference in criteria during the match, the referee's performance brought back the discussion about the consistency of sanctions in high-stakes matches.
