Born in 1979, he will be presented with the award during the 2026-27 sporting season, likely at the Italy v France match on 12th November at San Siro.
Slavko Vincic has claimed the seventh Giulio Campanati International Award. The Slovenian official was judged the best referee of the 2026 World Cup and will receive the honour, named after the esteemed former Italian referee and appointments chief. The award, in memory of “Presidentissimo” Campanati, was decided by a distinguished jury comprising executives, former international referees, and sports journalists. Now in its seventh edition, the award was established by the “Amici di Giulio Campanati” Association and the AIA “Umberto Meazza-Giulio Campanati” section of Milan, with the patronage of the FIGC and La Gazzetta dello Sport. Jacopo Ceccarelli, president of the Milan AIA section and a member of the jury for the Giulio Campanati International Award, decided that for the 2026 edition, his vote would represent the collective judgment of the entire section (which currently boasts over 500 members). Members were therefore able to nominate the three referees who most distinguished themselves during the World Cup by completing an online form. The vote cast by the Milan section ultimately matched the decision of the full jury.
Major Award Winners—
The experienced Slovenian referee had previously officiated the 2022 Europa League final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Glasgow Rangers, and the 2024 Champions League final featuring Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid. After refereeing two group stage matches and the Round of 32 clash between Mexico and Ecuador, he confidently took charge of the challenging World Cup final between Spain and Argentina. This achievement made him the first Slovenian referee to be appointed for the showpiece event of a World Cup. The Campanati Award was first established for the 2014 World Cup, honouring ‘Presidentissimo’ Giulio Campanati, an international referee who headed the AIA from 1972 to 1990, served as a UEFA executive from 1968 to 1992, and passed away in October 2011. The winners of the 2014 and 2016 editions were Italy’s Nicola Rizzoli, while the third edition’s award, for the 2018 World Cup, went to Argentine referee Nestor Pitana. At Euro 2020, Dutchman Bjorn Kuipers was victorious, and at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the award was presented to Daniele Orsato. Finally, the sixth edition was won by French official François Letexier. Vincic, born in 1979, will be presented with the award during the 2026/27 sporting season, likely at the Italy v France match on 12th November at San Siro.
This article was originally written in Italian by La Gazzetta dello Sport editor. The English version has been generated using AI translation tools. If you notice any translation errors or have suggestions, please contact us at iniziativegazzetta@rcs.it
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