Ceferin’s boycott of World Cup final highlights deep UEFA‑FIFA rift

While UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin chose to skip the World Cup final in New Jersey in protest – a decision underscored by Donald Trump’s call to FIFA president Gianni Infantino over the Folarin Balogun red‑card – he had earlier attended the tournament’s opening match in Mexico City on 11 June, highlighting a stark contrast between his public boycott and his earlier on‑field presence.

Ceferin, the Slovenian head of the European football governing body, stayed away from the final, a move first reported by The Times on Monday. The report said the UEFA‑FIFA relationship is now under severe strain.

UEFA publicly condemned FIFA’s disciplinary committee for suspending a one‑match ban on United States striker Folarin Balogun, describing the decision as “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable” and saying it had “crossed a red line”.

The controversy deepened after US President Donald Trump asked FIFA president Gianni Infantino to review Balogun’s red card, prompting questions about political influence on FIFA’s decision‑making.

FIFA was unable to prevent US authorities from sending home Somali referee Omar Artan before the tournament began, yet UEFA later appointed Artan to officiate next month’s UEFA Super Cup final.

Further criticism targeted FIFA’s unequal treatment of Iran, whose coach Amir Ghalenoei called his team “the most oppressed” at the World Cup, while US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said he “danced a happy dance” when Iran were eliminated.

UEFA also objected to FIFA’s rule changes at the tournament, such as hydration breaks that split matches into four quarters and a 27‑minute half‑time interval that far exceeds the permitted 15 minutes.

Ceferin attacked FIFA’s ticket‑pricing strategy, noting that UEFA will allocate 40 percent of Euro 2028 tickets to affordable categories priced around £30 or £60 and will not adopt dynamic pricing, underscoring the ongoing tension between the two bodies despite UEFA’s continued planning for future events.