Uefa president boycotts World Cup final in protest against Fifa

What the report says

BBC Sport reported that Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin stayed away from Sunday’s World Cup final between Argentina and Spain in New Jersey as a protest against Fifa. According to the report, Ceferin had attended the tournament opener in Mexico City between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa, but chose not to travel to the final after several decisions by world football’s governing body.

The BBC said a major factor was Uefa’s anger after United States forward Folarin Balogun avoided suspension following an intervention by US President Donald Trump. Uefa had publicly criticised Fifa’s handling of the case, arguing that uncertainty over the application of rules damages trust in the competition. The dispute adds to a broader rift between Ceferin and Fifa president Gianni Infantino over the direction of global football.

Other points of tension cited by the BBC include Fifa-backed half-time shows, which Uefa does not plan to use in the Champions League or European Championship, and discussion around a possible 64-team World Cup. The final’s entertainment programme reportedly featured major pop acts and stretched the interval well beyond the standard 15 minutes. Uefa is also said to be unhappy about high ticket prices during the tournament and intends broadly to freeze prices for Euro 2028.

The report also highlighted disagreements over officiating protocols, including Fifa’s approach to mistaken identity reviews, diving, and red cards for players covering their mouths during confrontations. Uefa competitions will not follow those World Cup interpretations, underlining a growing split between the European confederation and Fifa over governance, competition presentation and disciplinary standards.