Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin declined to attend the World Cup final in New Jersey on Sunday, marking a significant protest against Fifa leadership. While Ceferin traveled to Mexico City for the tournament’s opening match involving the co-hosts and South Africa, he chose not to make the trip to the championship game between Argentina and Spain.
The decision stemmed from multiple grievances with decisions made by Fifa president Gianni Infantino and the governing body’s administration. A primary catalyst involved American striker Folarin Balogun, who avoided suspension following intervention by US President Donald Trump. Uefa issued a formal statement characterizing the ruling as “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable,” warning that such actions jeopardized the integrity of the competition and undermined credibility.
Ceferin’s objections extended beyond the Balogun situation. Uefa opposes numerous changes championed by Infantino, including the introduction of half-time entertainment acts at World Cup matches. The event featured performances by Madonna, BTS, Shakira, and Justin Bieber, extending the traditional 15-minute intermission to 27 minutes 22 seconds. Uefa has indicated such shows will not be incorporated into the Champions League or European Championship competitions.
Additional points of contention included Infantino’s openness to expanding the World Cup format to 64 teams, high ticket pricing at the tournament venue in the United States, and divergent approaches to player conduct. Uefa announced it would broadly freeze ticket prices for Euro 2028, making single supporter passes considerably more affordable relative to World Cup parking fees. The organizations also disagreed on implementing a mistaken identity protocol for diving infractions and disciplinary measures for players covering their mouths during confrontations.
In response to earlier controversies, Uefa invited Somali referee Omar Artan, who had been denied entry to the United States before the tournament commenced, to officiate the Super Cup between Paris St-Germain and Aston Villa on 12 August.