Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin boycotted the World Cup final in protest against Fifa's recent decisions. While he attended the opening match, Ceferin skipped the final in New Jersey due to several actions by the world football governing body.

A key factor was United States striker Folarin Balogun escaping a suspension after intervention from US President Donald Trump, a decision Uefa deemed "unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable." Ceferin also opposes Fifa president Gianni Infantino's proposed changes, such as extended half-time shows and a 64-team World Cup.

Further disagreements arose over ticket prices, with Uefa planning to freeze prices for Euro 2028, and VAR protocols. Uefa instructed its VARs not to consider diving under a new mistaken identity protocol, unlike Fifa during the World Cup. Additionally, players covering their mouths in confrontations will not receive red cards in Uefa competitions, a change driven by Infantino to deter such behavior.