FIFA World Cup 2026: Match officials confirmed for final, third-place clash
ANI | Updated:Jul 17, 2026 06:28IST
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New Jersey [USA], July 17 (ANI): FIFA has announced the match officials appointed for the much-awaited FIFA World Cup 2026 final clash between defending champions Argentina and Spain on July 19 (local time). The match officials for the third-place match between England and France have also been named.
FIFA has appointed Slovenia’s Slavko Vincic as the referee for the FIFA World Cup 2026 final. Fellow Slovenians Tomaz Klancnik and Andraz Kovacic will serve as the first and second assistant referees, respectively, while Adham Makhadmeh has been named the fourth official and Mohammad Alkalaf the reserve assistant referee.
The match officials for @FIFAWorldCup Final have been appointed. 🤝
— FIFA (@FIFAcom) July 16, 2026
For the third-place playoff between France and England, FIFA has appointed Venezuela’s Jesus Valenzuela as the referee. His compatriots Jorge Urrego and Tulio Moreno will serve as the first and second assistant referees, respectively, while Jalal Jayed has been named the fourth official and Zakaria Brinsi the reserve assistant referee.
The match officials for @FIFAWorldCup Bronze Final have been appointed. 🤝
— FIFA (@FIFAcom) July 16, 2026
Argentina secured a thrilling 2-1 comeback win over England in the semifinal, overturning a first-half deficit with Enzo Fernandez scoring the equaliser before Lautaro Martinez netted the stoppage-time winner to send the defending champions into the title clash against Spain.
Notably, Messi also played a pivotal role in Argentina’s victory. Although he did not get on the scoresheet, the captain provided assists for both of the defending champions’ goals, proving instrumental in their comeback triumph.
The win over England sent Argentina into the World Cup 2026 final, where they will face Spain on Sunday (local time), while England’s hopes of reaching their first World Cup final since 1966 came to a heartbreaking end.
In the match, Argentina produced a stunning late comeback. The first half was a tightly contested battle, with both teams fighting for midfield control and creating limited clear chances. England eventually broke the deadlock in the 55th minute when Anthony Gordon finished Morgan Rogers’ cross to put the Three Lions ahead.
After taking the lead, England dropped deeper defensively, allowing Argentina to build pressure. The defending champions responded strongly, with Jordan Pickford making key saves and Alexis Mac Allister hitting the post before Argentina found the equaliser. In the 85th minute, Enzo Fernandez struck after receiving a pass from Lionel Messi to level the match.
Argentina completed their comeback in stoppage time when Messi delivered a cross for Lautaro Martinez, who headed home the winner. Despite England’s late efforts, Argentina held on to reach the final. England will now face France in the third-place match, while Argentina will meet Spain for the title.
Spain, on the other hand, secured a place in the FIFA World Cup final for the first time since their 2010 triumph after defeating France 2-0 with a composed performance. Lamine Yamal played a key role in the win, winning a penalty after dispossessing Lucas Digne, which Mikel Oyarzabal converted in the 22nd minute to give Spain the lead.
Pedro Porro doubled Spain’s advantage after the break following a fine move with Dani Olmo, while France struggled to create clear chances. Yamal had a goal ruled out for offside, and despite late efforts from Kylian Mbappe and Aurelien Tchouameni, Spain’s defence held firm to secure their sixth clean sheet in seven tournament matches.
The victory booked Spain’s second-ever World Cup final appearance. (ANI)
