UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin refused to attend the World Cup final in New Jersey on Sunday in a boycott senior football figures say is aimed directly at FIFA president Gianni Infantino over political interference and the governance of the 2026 tournament.
The move is understood to be part of a wider list of grievances over how the World Cup was handled on US soil, with UEFA officials privately complaining that FIFA was unable, or unwilling, to shield the tournament from domestic American politics.
Balogun Red Card Row Boils Over
Tensions between the two bodies had been simmering for months. The flashpoint was FIFA's decision to overturn a one-match ban on United States striker Folarin Balogun after a red card against Bosnia-Herzegovina, a move UEFA publicly blasted as 'unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable'.
🚨🚨| NEW: UEFA President, Aleksander Ceferin, 𝐁𝐎𝐘𝐂𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐃 the World Cup final due to the tournament’s political interferences. ❌🇪🇺
— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) July 20, 2026
The final straw being Trump’s extraordinary admission he asked Gianni Infantino to reverse Balogun’s suspension.
[@martynziegler] pic.twitter.com/DsfP0Ocwpj
The call came after a reported intervention from US President Donald Trump, who asked Infantino to 'review' the punishment ahead of the USA's last-16 clash with Belgium.
Trump later claimed he was 'forced' to make the call and 'had no idea what was going to happen'. FIFA's disciplinary chair Mohammad al-Kamali was said to have taken the decision to suspend the ban independently, but the damage to perceptions of FIFA's independence was done.
Nathán Goldberg Crenier, vice president of the US Soccer Federation, used an editorial in The Guardian to accuse Infantino of trying to 'ingratiate himself with Donald Trump at all costs', warning the direction of FIFA under his leadership threatened 'the soul of the sport'.
Crenier said 'the biggest casualty was soccer's integrity', while Balogun himself described the episode as 'a lot of outside noise'.
Peace Prize Row and Growing Grievances
UEFA's frustration deepened after Infantino handed Trump the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize at the World Cup draw in Washington DC in December, reportedly without prior approval from the FIFA Council, with several council members saying they learned of the award only from media coverage.
By May, UEFA had publicly accused Infantino of putting 'private political interests' ahead of football's, with senior figures in Nyon reportedly considering whether to seek alternative candidates for the FIFA presidency.
Other incidents added to the grievance list. Somali referee Omar Artan was sent home by American authorities before the competition began, prompting UEFA to appoint him to officiate next month's UEFA Super Cup final in a pointed show of confidence.
Iran's national team faced what their coach Amir Ghalenoei described as 'oppressed' treatment under strict entry and exit conditions not applied to other nations, while US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said he 'danced a happy dance' when Iran were eliminated.
Rule Changes UEFA Refuses To Copy
There is also anger in Europe over how the laws of the game were adapted for the tournament. Hydration breaks split matches into four quarters, allowing broadcasters to cut to adverts, and the World Cup final's half-time interval ran to 27 minutes, almost double the 15-minute maximum in the Laws of the Game.
UEFA has made clear it will not copy that model, nor adopt World Cup-era interpretations of VAR and discipline, including the 'mistaken identity' rule that saw Switzerland's Breel Embolo sent off against Argentina.
Ceferin has also criticised FIFA's ticketing strategy. UEFA has promised 40 per cent of tickets for Euro 2028 will be in the lowest price bands, around £30 to £60, and has vowed not to use dynamic pricing.
When even the UEFA president is reportedly staying away because of political interference concerns, you know the tournament had a serious credibility problem.
— The Sports Hook (@TheSports_Hook) July 20, 2026
FIFA must make sure politicians stay away from influencing football decisions.
Football should never reach a point…
Fans Split as FIFA–UEFA Rift Spills Online
Social media reaction was pointed. 'When even the UEFA president is reportedly staying away because of political interference concerns, you know the tournament had a serious credibility problem,' one account posted, while another user wrote: 'If true, FIFA has bigger problems than just football.'
Not all reaction favoured UEFA, however, with one user dismissing the row entirely, arguing UEFA 'isn't any better than FIFA'.
