UEFA president Alexander Ceferin did not attend Sunday’s World Cup final after criticizing the decision to postpone the suspension of US striker Folarin Balogun.
UEFA President Alexander Ceferin (left) was absent from the World Cup final (Image: Masashi Hara, Getty Images)
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has decided to boycott the World Cup final due to the deteriorating relationship between UEFA and FIFA.
Sunday’s high-profile final in New Jersey, which Spain won 1-0, was attended by many celebrities, including U.S. President Donald Trump, but Ceferin was absent despite being FIFA’s vice president. And the reasons behind the 58-year-old’s decision not to attend are now beginning to emerge.
Ceferin’s absence was a fallout from the Folarin Balogun scandal, according to a new report in the Times, with FIFA postponing the suspension of the US striker following his sending off.
Trump himself boasted that he had contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino and recommended a review of the striker’s soft red card.
Balogun was then cleared to play in the United States’ crucial Round of 16 matchup against Belgium, which recorded a 4-1 victory. Their stars then mocked Trump by imitating the president’s dance moves during the postgame celebration.
UEFA said at the time that the decision to postpone Balogun’s suspension was “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjust” and that FIFA had “crossed a line that should not be crossed” by choosing to do so.
But political interference is not the only complaint UEFA is said to have with FIFA during the World Cup, with Ceferin criticizing the astronomical ticket prices in May. He also stepped in to appoint Somali referee Omar Altan, who was prevented from entering the United States, to play in the Super Cup final between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in August.
Donald Trump sparks World Cup scandal by revealing he urged Gianni Infantino to review Folarin Balogun’s red card (Image: FIFA via Getty Images)
There are also concerns within UEFA about some of the rule changes that FIFA forced in ahead of the World Cup, and have already confirmed that FIFA will not follow precedent when it comes to, among other new rules, instructions for referees to send off players who talk to opponents while covering their mouths.
Going forward, UEFA has opposed proposals to expand the World Cup to a staggering 64 teams. This means a much larger increase in the number of teams participating in the tournament, with the 2026 edition featuring 48 teams instead of 32 for the first time.
“This proposal was probably even more surprising to me than it was to you,” Ceferin said in April.
“I think that’s a bad idea.”
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