A rift in world football! UEFA president boycotted the World Cup final over FIFA's controversial decision

Ceferin turned his absence into a loud protest against FIFA's actions.

Details: UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin deliberately skipped the 2026 World Cup final. One of the main reasons was FIFA's decision to suspend the disqualification of United States striker Folarin Balogun following his sending off.

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Balogun received a straight red card in the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but later the FIFA disciplinary committee effectively postponed the automatic one-match ban by a year. As a result, the forward was able to play against Belgium, sparking a fierce reaction from UEFA.

It is reported that this episode became the culmination of a conflict brewing between UEFA and FIFA for several months. Ceferin was also angered by other organizational and political decisions during the World Cup, including the denial of entry to Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan to the United States.

The relationship between the two leading football organizations has seriously deteriorated, and Ceferin's demonstrative absence from the final was the most visible manifestation of this confrontation.

Reminder: Another blow to FIFA! Hummels calls Balogun case 'harakiri for fair play'.