UEFA President did not attend the World Cup final: this is the reason

The absence of UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin from the 2026 World Cup final has fueled speculation about a deepening rift between the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The final, a pinnacle event in global football, typically sees top officials from both organizations in attendance.

Reports indicate that the two presidents, Gianni Infantino of FIFA and Čeferin of UEFA, were last seen together at a UEFA congress in Brussels in February. Their differing stances and the perceived expansion of the dispute between their respective organizations suggest a significant tension within the sport's governance.

While the article does not explicitly detail the reasons for the dispute or Čeferin's specific absence from the final, it frames the situation as a continuation of an "enlarging crack" between UEFA and FIFA. The event served as a stage where this ongoing disagreement was further highlighted, according to the reporting.