Ceferin skips Argentina-Spain final over Balogun red card

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin did not attend the Argentina-Spain FIFA World Cup final in protest over FIFA's handling of the Folarin Balogun red card.

Balogun's red card suspension for the Round of 32 game against Bosnia and Herzegovina was lifted for the pre-quarterfinal against Belgium after President Donald Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

Ceferin was also upset over Africa's top referee Omar Artan being denied entry to the US due to Somalia being on the travel ban list.

Ceferin opposed expensive match tickets and new rules introduced for the tournament, such as red cards for players covering their mouths during confrontations or leaving the field in protest.

A UEFA release stated that suspending Balogun's automatic one-match suspension crossed a red line, as minimum automatic suspensions are a fundamental principle of football regulations.