European football chief Aleksander Ceferin refused to attend Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final following a series of disagreements between UEFA and FIFA over disciplinary decisions, refereeing issues and tournament operations.
A source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters that tensions escalated after FIFA decided not to enforce an automatic one-match suspension for United States forward Folarin Balogun following his red card.
The decision sparked one of the tournament’s biggest controversies, with UEFA reportedly accusing FIFA of having “crossed a red line” over its handling of disciplinary procedures.
Another major factor behind Ceferin’s absence was the case of Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was unable to officiate at the World Cup after being denied entry into the United States.
Artan has since been appointed to referee the UEFA Super Cup clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in August.
European officials also expressed concerns over FIFA’s handling of matches involving Iran, as well as several operational changes introduced during the tournament.
Reuters reported that the growing disagreements exposed widening tensions between European football’s governing body and FIFA during the competition.
