Quiet Tension at the Top. UEFA Chief Skips World Cup Final – A Sign of Disagreement with FIFA's Actions?

 According to DPA, one reason for his decision was the case of American striker Folarin Balogun. FIFA overturned Balogun's suspension before the Round of 16 match against Belgium (1:4) following a phone call between US President Donald Trump and FIFA head Gianni Infantino. UEFA sharply criticized the decision. "We express our dismay at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible, and unjustified decision," UEFA stated at the time. It claimed FIFA had crossed a "red line."

 "If the legal certainty of the rules is no longer guaranteed by their custodians, the integrity of the game is jeopardized and the credibility of the competition undermined," UEFA added. The European organization also disagrees with the proposal to expand the World Cup from 48 to 64 teams, which Infantino discussed during the tournament. Čeferin called it a "bad idea."

The relationship between Infantino and Čeferin has been strained for a long time. Two years ago, the FIFA head skipped the European Championship final between Spain and England in Berlin, as well as the Copa America final in Miami, to attend the lavish wedding of Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani's son in Mumbai. At Sunday's World Cup final, Infantino was seated in the VIP box next to President Trump.