Aleksander Čeferin, President of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), boycotted the World Cup final in protest against the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) decision to suspend the execution of a one-match ban against striker Folarin Balogun, in the latest chapter of tension between the two organizations.

The American striker Folarin Balogun was the center of widespread controversy before the United States team lost to Belgium in the round of 16 of the World Cup.

The Monaco striker was sent off during the United States' 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32, following a challenge on Tariq Maharmović.

According to regulations, Balogun was supposed to be suspended for the next match against Belgium, but US President Donald Trump intervened and spoke directly with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, before the execution of the ban was suspended for 12 months, allowing the player to participate against the Belgian team.

FIFA decided to suspend the execution of the penalty for 12 months, based on Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.

The British newspaper The Times revealed that Čeferin has not yet overcome the repercussions of the Balogun crisis, as he chose to boycott the World Cup final, and that issue was one of the main reasons behind his absence from the match.

The newspaper indicated that the relationship between UEFA and FIFA has been tense after the tournament, and that Čeferin was not satisfied with the US authorities' decision to prevent Somali referee Omar Artan from entering the country.

Artan was later appointed to officiate the UEFA Super Cup match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa next August.

FIFA's failure to provide appropriate treatment for Iran also caused discontent within UEFA, in addition to the European federation's objection to modifying some rules of the game, such as adopting water breaks and extending halftime in the final due to a mid-match show.

Čeferin, who attended the tournament's opening match between Mexico and South Africa, was also among the most prominent critics of the dynamic pricing strategy adopted by FIFA in ticket sales.