Slovakia defeated Slovenia 1-0 in the World Cup - Qualification Europe. The fixture is part of the 1st Round - 7 stage in the 2018 season. The match was played at City Arena Trnava in Trnava. Antonio Mateu officiated the match. The full-time result capped a Slovakia vs Slovenia meeting in World Cup - Qualification Europe with detailed post-match statistics available on Sportra. This match centre covers lineups, live events, player ratings, team statistics, xG, head-to-head history, and related news for Slovakia and Slovenia. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
World Cup - Qualification Europe
Slovakia SLORecorded meetings: 0 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
Slavko Vincic has been assigned as the referee for the 2026 World Cup final, prompting questions on his record with Lionel Messi's Argentina and Lamine Yamal's Spain. The 2026 World Cup final is rapidly approaching, and every minor detail surrounding Sunday’s grand finale at MetLife Stadium will be under the global microscope. FIFA recently announced that Slovenian official Slavko Vincic has been appointed to referee the tournament’s deciding match. The high-profile assignment has immediately sparked discussion regarding his historical track record with Lionel Messi‘s Argentina and Lamine Yamal’s Spain. Vincic, 46, has put together a distinguished international career since first earning his FIFA badge in 2010, regularly calling marquee matchups in Europe and on the international stage. At the club level, his impressive resume is highlighted by officiating the 2022 UEFA Europa League final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers, as well as the 2024 UEFA Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund. The Slovenian official made his World Cup debut in Qatar, where he was assigned to two matches, and has added another three assignments to his tally during the 2026 tournament. Sunday’s highly anticipated final will mark his sixth career World Cup match, and his fourth of this current campaign, representing the absolute pinnacle of his officiating career. Yamal’s Spain record with Vincic Given his status as one of UEFA’s top referees, Vincic has had numerous opportunities to oversee Spain in competitive European fixtures. His history with La Roja dates back to a 2017 friendly against Colombia, followed by group-stage duties at Euro 2020 against Sweden, and a UEFA Nations League semifinal clash against Italy in 2023, though all of those matches predated Lamine Yamal‘s international breakthrough. The match officials for @FIFAWorldCup Final have been appointed. 🤝— FIFA (@FIFAcom) July 16, 2026 However, Vincic has been the man in the middle for two significant matches in Yamal’s young international career. Both occurred during Spain‘s triumphant Euro 2024 campaign, starting with a 1-0 group-stage win over Italy and followed by the 2-1 semifinal victory against France, where the teenage winger scored his famous long-range equalizer. Vincic’s record with Messi’s Argentina Due to the geographical divide, Vincic has naturally crossed paths with Argentina far less frequently than Spain. Yet, the Slovenian referee was at the whistle for one of the most shocking and painful moments in modern Argentine soccer history. The only time Vincic has refereed the Albiceleste was during their opening group-stage match of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. In that game, Saudi Arabia pulled off a historic 2-1 upset, snapping Argentina’s legendary 36-match unbeaten streak and marking the only time Messi’s side has ever lost with Vincic on the pitch. Lionel Messi of Argentina speaks with referee Slavko Vincic. Despite the final scoreline, the refereeing decisions on that day actually favored the South American champions early on. In just the seventh minute, Vincic awarded Argentina a penalty after Leandro Paredes was pulled down during a corner kick, a decision that was heavily debate, allowing Messi to open the scoring, before he went on to hand out six yellow cards to Saudi Arabian players while keeping his book clean for the Argentines.
Making their final appearance before jetting off to North America, Croatia will welcome Slovenia to Varazdin on Sunday night. With the 2026 World Cup officially set to get underway next week, you can explore all of the most attractive betting promotions and bonuses that available. Verdict: Croatia win Best Odds: 2/5 Bookmaker: BetUS Croatia Starting […] The post Prediction: Croatia vs Slovenia appeared first on SoccerNews.
Swansea City striker Zan Vipotnik has been included in BBC Sport's Championship team of the season. The Slovenian scored a total of 25 goals in his second season with Swansea - of which 23 goals were scored in 43 league games. Two former Swansea City players were also recognised after helping their respective clubs secure promotion to the Premier League.
While there is no denying the magnitude of his achievements, his legacy is also tied up in politics, propaganda and hard powerWell, that’s that then. Put out more flags. Mount the iconic Jedi‑style woollen cardigan in the club museum. He really does seem to be done this time.In the absence of formal denials, it now seems highly likely the scheduled final year of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City contract will be spent trawling the high-concept food ateliers of the Iberian peninsula, debating spatial architecture with a Slovenian Cluedo grandmaster over hummingbird martinis, and generally recharging after a decade of unceasing devotion to victory. Continue reading...
Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic spoke about Luka Modric’s injury ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Luka Modric will miss the remainder of the 2025–26 season with AC Milan due to a fracture of the left cheekbone that required surgery. That raised concerns for the Croatia national team given the proximity of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a situation Zlatko Dalic addressed. “I’ve been talking to Luka and wished him a successful surgery and a quality and speedy recovery,” the Croatia head coach said this week, just hours after news of the midfielder’s injury broke, according to BBC Sport. Dalic struck an optimistic tone regarding Modric’s recovery timeline: “I am convinced that he will do everything to be ready for the World Cup, and we’ll provide full support. I am confident that the recovery will go according to plan and that Luka, as team captain, will lead us at another major competition this summer.” Modric underwent surgery on Monday at La Madonnina Clinic in Milan, performed by Dr. Luca Autelitano’s team, with successful results. The midfielder now faces a recovery process estimated at six to eight weeks. Luka Modric of AC Milan. Modric’s timeline ahead of the 2026 World Cup With confirmation that he will miss AC Milan’s final four matches of the 2025-26 Serie A season, Luka Modric’s recovery from cheekbone surgery is now fully focused on the Croatia national team. By the time Dalic announces the final 26-man roster traveling to North America at the end of May, the midfielder will have completed roughly one month of recovery, providing a much clearer picture of his availability. At that point, in a worst-case scenario, Modric would be around halfway through his recovery timeline. In a more optimistic scenario, he could already be nearing a return to training—an important factor considering that, at 40 years old, he cannot afford to spend too much time away from regular sessions. Croatia’s road to the World Cup Once the 26-man squad is finalized, Croatia are set to travel to North America in early June to prepare for the tournament. They will first play two final warm-up matches: against Belgium on June 2, and five days later against Slovenia. Croatia will open their 2026 World Cup campaign against England on June 17 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in what is expected to be their toughest group-stage match. They will then face Panama on June 23 and Ghana on June 27.
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