Abdulhafiz TeslimAleksander Čeferin elected not to attend the 2026 World Cup final following Donald Trump’s intervention in Folarin Balogun’s red-card suspension.
The UEFA President was nowhere to be seen at MetLife Stadium as Spain were crowned world champions for the second time.
He is also reportedly frustrated by the denial of entry to Somali referee Omar Artan into the United States and by the treatment of the Iran national team throughout the tournament.
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Artan has reportedly been offered the UEFA Super Cup between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain after being barred from entering the United States.
Čeferin is also strongly opposed to any further expansion of the World Cup. As UEFA President, he would have been expected to attend, particularly with a European nation featuring in the final.
However, after the White House intervened to get Balogun’s red-card suspension overturned earlier in the tournament, he reportedly decided not to attend.
A report in The Times claims that the relationship between Čeferin and FIFA president Gianni Infantino has broken down, with the Balogun controversy proving to be the final straw.
What makes Čeferin’s absence even more astonishing is that he also serves as one of FIFA’s vice-presidents.
The 2026 edition was the biggest World Cup ever, featuring 48 teams, and there are already plans to expand the tournament to 64 teams.
Čeferin has also been a vocal critic of the tournament’s extortionate ticket prices, while UEFA has chosen not to adopt several rule changes introduced during the World Cup.
The most notable of those changes is the rule that allows players to receive a red card for covering their mouths during confrontations.
The straw that broke the camel’s back
Balogun had impressed for the United States as they reached the Round of 16. However, he was sent off during the 2-0 victory over Bosnia in the Round of 32.
Many believed the dismissal was harsh, but FIFA had not introduced an appeal process for the World Cup, meaning he was set to miss the match against Belgium.
It was later revealed that Trump spoke with Infantino to ask FIFA to review the suspension.
White House official Emily Goodin confirmed the conversation, saying:
«”The President and Infantino did speak, and the President wanted to better understand the reason why a red card was given and why there was a suspension.»
«”The appeal process is run by an independent board.»
«”The U.S. government provided additional evidence that was used in the appeal process.”»
FIFA insisted that the final decision rested with the independent board, which opted to suspend the enforcement of the one-match ban for one year.
The decision was heavily criticized by UEFA, whose member association had to prepare for a player who would otherwise have been suspended despite there being no formal appeal process.
UEFA issued a strongly worded statement that read:
«”Yesterday’s decision to suspend for a probationary period of one year the implementation of the one-match automatic suspension following the red card issued to the player Folarin Balogun crossed a red line.»
«”Football, like any other sport, relies on rules, which are the basis for fair, honest and transparent competition.»
«”Sometimes rules are open to interpretation. In this case, they are not.»
«”A minimum automatic suspension of one match following a red card is not a discretionary option and does not require the decision of a competent body to be enacted. It is a principle embedded in the regulations, which cannot be made subject to exceptions, let alone in the middle of a tournament where several other players have been in the same situation and duly served their suspension.»
«”When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined.»
«”Equally, such a decision creates a precedent in the ongoing tournament, where similar situations will now require equal treatment, to the detriment of the competition as a whole.»
«”Football is the most loved sport in the world because it is a beautiful game and is trusted because it is played everywhere under the same Laws of the Game.»
«”A tournament is never a standalone event and, when that tournament is the World Cup, it has the power to shape the future of football, for better or worse.»
«”We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision.”»
Fallout continues
Despite the World Cup having ended, Infantino continues to face criticism from all sides.
The latest to speak out is US Soccer vice-president Nathan Goldberg Crenier.
Writing for The Guardian, he criticized FIFA for “cosying up” to Trump and for suspending Balogun’s red-card ban.
Speaking specifically about the controversy, he said:
«”When it comes to Trump’s meddling in the Balogun case, the biggest casualty was soccer’s integrity.»
«”Sure, in a narrow sense, US Soccer benefited from having a star player available again.»
«”But in a more meaningful sense, US Soccer was also a victim: our players were swept up in a political firestorm before the most important game of their lives, and our biggest chance to showcase American soccer to the world will now forever be tainted by accusations of favouritism at best and corruption at worst, unfairly clouding US Soccer’s credibility and reputation around the world.»
«”To boot, in return for debasing our sport again and again, Infantino rewarded Trump with the honour of presenting the World Cup trophy on Sunday.»
«”The fact that Infantino has faced little accountability for dragging soccer through the mud reflects a battle for the soul of the sport — about whether its future will be autocratic and hyper-commercialised rather than a force for good.»
«”I say no: soccer leaders must reject Infantino’s egotistical and transactional view of the beautiful game.”»
Abdulhafiz Teslim
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