UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin refused to attend the 2026 World Cup final amid growing tensions with FIFA over disciplinary decisions, refereeing arrangements and tournament operations, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter.
A major point of conflict was FIFA’s decision to postpone the automatic one-match suspension imposed on United States forward Folarin Balogun following his red card. UEFA strongly condemned the move, saying FIFA had “crossed a red line.”
Ceferin was also reportedly dissatisfied after Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was denied entry into the United States and could not officiate at the tournament. UEFA later appointed Artan to handle its Super Cup match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in August.
Other disagreements concerned the handling of matches involving Iran and FIFA’s operational changes, including compulsory hydration breaks and an extended half-time during the final. Ceferin’s absence highlighted a widening rift between football’s European and global governing bodies as Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 after extra time to win the World Cup.