Aleksander eferin boycotts World Cup final over Fifa row
Aleksander eferin — Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin — boycotted the 2026 World Cup final between Argentina and Spain to protest Fifa. A decisive factor was Fifa allowing US striker Folarin Balogun to escape a suspension after an intervention by US President Donald Trump, which Uefa branded unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable.
Key Takeaways
- Ceferin skipped Sunday’s Argentina–Spain final in New Jersey after attending the Mexico City opener.
- The Balogun case, tied to Trump’s intervention, was a key factor in the boycott.
- Uefa opposes Fifa half-time shows, a possible 64-team World Cup, and steep ticket prices.
- European competitions will not copy several Fifa entertainment and disciplinary experiments.
Why did Aleksander Ceferin skip the World Cup final?
According to BBC Sport, Ceferin traveled to Mexico City for the opening game between the co-hosts and South Africa but snubbed the trip to New Jersey for Sunday’s final.
Uefa had already condemned Fifa’s Balogun ruling as “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable.” In a statement, the European body warned that when guardians no longer guarantee the certainty of rules, “the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined.”
Telegraph Sport reported that a Uefa president boycotting a World Cup final is unprecedented. The final straw was Trump’s admission that he asked Fifa president Gianni Infantino to reverse Balogun’s suspension for the United States’ last-16 tie against Belgium. Ceferin also serves as a Fifa vice-president, underscoring how deep the rift has become.
What other Fifa decisions have angered Uefa?
Ceferin is firmly against many Infantino-driven changes, including half-time shows. Acts such as Madonna, BTS, Shakira and Justin Bieber performed during the tournament, extending the usual 15-minute break to 27 minutes 22 seconds. Uefa says such spectacles will not be introduced to the Champions League or the European Championship.
Uefa is also strongly against a 64-team World Cup, which Infantino appeared to open the door to during the tournament. High ticket prices proved controversial inside Uefa, which will broadly freeze Euro 2028 prices — meaning fans can buy five tickets for the cost of a single parking space at a US World Cup stadium this summer.
After referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the United States before the tournament, Uefa invited the Somali official to referee the Super Cup between Paris St-Germain and Aston Villa on 12 August.
Will European competitions copy Fifa’s World Cup changes?
BBC Sport reported that Uefa has instructed its VARs not to consider diving under the new mistaken-identity protocol Fifa used at the World Cup — a protocol that led to Switzerland striker Breel Embolo being sent off in a quarter-final defeat to Argentina.
Players who cover their mouths in confrontations with opponents will not be shown red cards in Uefa competitions either. That law change was Infantino’s idea, intended as a World Cup deterrent. Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron and Ecuador’s Piero Hincapie were among those sent off under the rule.
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