ISTANBUL / Ahmed Hassan / Anadolu Agency

British media reported on Monday that the President of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), Slovenian Aleksander Čeferin, did not attend the 2026 World Cup final on Sunday evening, in protest against the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA).

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported that Čeferin, who traveled to Mexico City to attend the opening match between Mexico and South Africa, refused to travel to New Jersey for the final, after a series of decisions made by FIFA during the tournament that led to strained relations between the two sides.

It added that among the reasons for the dispute was FIFA's decision to suspend the red card suspension received by United States striker Folarin Balogun before the match against Belgium, after US President Donald Trump asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to 'review' the sending-off process.

UEFA expressed its displeasure at what it considered Infantino's submission to political pressure from the host country, describing the decision of FIFA's Disciplinary Committee as 'unprecedented, incomprehensible, and unjustifiable,' saying it had 'crossed the red line.'

The BBC reported that among the sources of tension was also FIFA's acceptance of US authorities' decision not to allow Somali referee Omar Artan to enter the country, while UEFA responded by appointing him to officiate the UEFA Super Cup final next month.

The European federation also refused to adopt some of the changes implemented by FIFA during the World Cup, such as water breaks and halftime shows.

UEFA also did not adopt the VAR intervention protocol for mistaken identity, which led to the sending off of Breel Embolo during Switzerland's loss to Argentina in the quarter-finals.

It also did not adopt issuing cards to players who cover their mouths while talking to opposing players.

Before the tournament, Čeferin criticized its expansion to 48 teams; a Slovenian newspaper quoted him as saying: 'We have many matches that are not interesting at all due to the increase in the number of teams.'

Čeferin publicly objected to World Cup ticket prices, while UEFA announced it would continue to offer two categories of tickets under the slogan 'Fans First' at the 2028 European Championship in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The federation explained that 40 percent of tickets will be priced under 35 euros or 70 euros, and pledged not to adopt dynamic pricing.