Vincic, referee for World Cup final, has a shocking past with Messi, Argentina

While excitement continues to build among fans eager to witness former FC Barcelona No. 10 Lionel Messi take on the club's current rising No. 10, Lamine Yamal, FIFA has also finalized the referee who will be in charge of the high-stakes showdown.

Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić has been appointed as the man in the middle for Match 104, the FIFA World Cup final, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.

For Vincic, this will likely be far more than just another assignment, as he steps onto football’s biggest stage while hoping to put behind him a turbulent chapter of his past that once saw him become entangled in legal proceedings.