Also known as: UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin · UEFA Pez
UEFA president who led opposition to FIFA's World Cup privatization plan and boycott threat, and skipped the 2026 World Cup final in protest.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
Joy Online
… Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin has said he expects Infantino to resign or to face a challenge to his role from another candidate at elections in March. …
Uefa set to drop Fifa tournament boycott threatThe Ghanaian Times
UEFA president, Aleksander Ceferin, has ruled himself out of the running to replace Gianni Infantino, but says he expects a candidate to challenge the FIFA president’s leadership in March, 2027. …
UEFA boss Ceferin rules out FIFA presidency bidJoy Online
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin says Gianni Infantino needs to remember he is European after describing his FIFA counterpart’s plan to sell off a stake in the World Cup as “worse than the Super League”. …
Infantino must remember he is European – CeferinDaily Guide
UEFA Pez, Aleksander Čeferin (L) and FIFA Prez, Gianni Infantino UEFA has doubled down on its threat to boycott FIFA-run competitions and reiterated its loss of confidence in Gianni Infantino’s presidency. …
UEFA Maintains World Cup Boycott Despite Infantino’s ApologyJoy Online
… Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin boycotted the World Cup final this month in protest over a number of controversial moves, including US President Donald Trump stepping in to help turn USA forward Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban into a suspended ban, allowing him to play in the l …
FIFA offers $40m if nations back controversial planJoy Online
… Why are Infantino and Ceferin in conflict and where could it end? Infantino’s proposal has deepened his ongoing conflict with European governing body Uefa – the most powerful and wealthy regional organiser. …
Is World Cup sell-off plan a step too far by Infantino?Joy Online
… Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin boycotted the World Cup final this month in protest over a number of controversial moves, including US President Donald Trump stepping in to help turn USA forward Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban into a suspended ban, allowing him to play in the l …
Fifa offers $40m if nations back controversial planJoy Online
… Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin boycotted the World Cup final this month in protest at a number of controversial moves. …
UEFA World Cup boycott may be raised over FIFA planThe Ghanaian Times
Aleksander Ceferin, the head of UEFA, boycotted the World Cup final to show unhappiness with FIFA, British media reported on Monday. …
Ceferin skipped World Cup final over disapproval of FIFAJoy Online
… But these things are just the tip of the iceberg.” European football’s governing body Uefa criticised Fifa’s decision at the time, calling it “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable”, and the decision was a factor in the organisation’s president Aleksander Ceferin not …
Infantino’s ‘time is up’ with Fifa – La Liga bossUefa is set to drop its threat of boycotting Fifa competitions after receiving assurances that Gianni Infantino's plan to sell World Cup stakes to private investors will not be repeated. The decision will be discussed at Uefa's executive committee meeting in Monaco on Thursday.
26 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Uefa is set to drop its threat of boycotting Fifa competitions after receiving assurances that Gianni Infantino's plan to sell World Cup stakes to private investors will not be repeated. The decision will be discussed at Uefa's executive committee meeting in Monaco on Thursday.
26 August 2026 · Joy Online →
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has ruled out standing for FIFA president in March 2027, though he expects another candidate to challenge Gianni Infantino following widespread opposition to the latter's now-scrapped plan to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to private investors.
25 August 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has called Gianni Infantino's abandoned proposal to sell a 21% stake in FIFA competitions' commercial and ticketing rights to a private company "worse than the Super League", saying football would be "literally sold". UEFA led opposition to the plan, with its members voting to boycott World Cups unless it was scrapped.
23 August 2026 · Joy Online →
UEFA has reiterated its loss of confidence in FIFA President Gianni Infantino and maintained its threat to boycott FIFA competitions, saying that FIFA's public backing of Infantino and the withdrawal of his FIFA Forward Enterprise scheme do not meet the conditions necessary to avert the boycott. UEFA stated it requires both the withdrawal of proposals to sell off major competitions and assurances that such attempts will not be made again.
7 August 2026 · Daily Guide →
Europe's 55 football associations have voted to boycott World Cups if FIFA proceeds with selling stakes in its competitions to private investors. UEFA states the World Cup "is not for sale" and cannot be treated as an investment product.
31 July 2026 · Daily Guide →
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has written to 211 member associations offering $40m if they back his plan to sell stakes in major competitions, including the World Cup, with a 19 September deadline for access to an initial $20m. UEFA accused FIFA of using football to enrich themselves and their friends.
30 July 2026 · Joy Online →
FIFA announced plans to sell off stakes in its football competitions, including the World Cup, to private investors associated with US President Donald Trump, which Infantino characterizes as democratisation of football but which has met criticism from fans, politicians and regional governing bodies. The plan would distribute $40m in funding to FIFA member associations, with a deadline of 19 September for federations to accept in order to access an initial $20m.
29 July 2026 · Joy Online →
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has written to all 211 member associations offering $40m in exchange for backing his plan to sell stakes in major competitions like the World Cup through a new commercial subsidiary. The plan, which could raise $10bn and has drawn quick condemnation from multiple regions, sets a 19 September deadline for nations to accept and receive an initial $20m.
29 July 2026 · Joy Online →
FIFA's proposal to create a commercial subsidiary to run major competitions including the World Cup and sell stakes to external investors has prompted UEFA's 55 member associations to call an emergency meeting to discuss a potential plan of action, including the possibility of a boycott.
29 July 2026 · Joy Online →
UEFA head Aleksander Ceferin skipped the World Cup final to protest FIFA's decisions, including suspending a red card for a US striker after President Trump's intervention and its handling of referee and team treatment issues during the tournament.
22 July 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →
La Liga president Javier Tebas has called for FIFA president Gianni Infantino to resign, claiming FIFA is "destroying the football industry" and criticising decisions including World Cup hydration breaks and the final's half-time interval. Tebas acknowledged that Infantino has support from national federations and is expected to be re-elected at FIFA's March congress.
22 July 2026 · Joy Online →
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin did not attend the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain in protest against FIFA decisions, citing issues including US President Donald Trump's intervention in a suspension case and other changes driven by FIFA president Gianni Infantino such as extended half-time shows and a proposed 64-team World Cup format.
21 July 2026 · Joy Online →
FIFA boss Gianni Infantino said plans to expand the World Cup to 64 teams will be examined after the 2026 tournament, citing the success of the expanded 48-team format. Infantino stated that expanding the tournament ensures it is "for the whole world" and gives smaller nations incentive to improve.
12 July 2026 · Joy Online →
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin faced criticism from 13 World Cup nations—including Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast, and South Africa—after reportedly stating that expanding the tournament from 32 to 48 teams has led to many "uninteresting" matches. The football associations rejected his comments, saying that for their countries, World Cup participation represents a historic achievement and there is no such thing as an unimportant match.
15 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Somali referee Omar Artan, who was refused entry to the US and barred from World Cup duty by American authorities, has been selected by UEFA to officiate the August 12 UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa in Salzburg, Austria.
12 June 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →
Omar Artan, a Somali referee barred from entering the United States for World Cup duty due to visa and vetting concerns, has been appointed by UEFA to officiate the UEFA Super Cup final between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa on August 12 in Salzburg, Austria.
11 June 2026 · Joy Online →
UEFA has proposed a revamp of qualifying for the 2030 World Cup and 2032 European Championship using a Champions League-style format with 36 top-ranked teams in three groups of 12, designed to reduce mismatches between strongest and weakest teams. A decision on the proposal is expected in September.
22 May 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →
UEFA will split World Cup qualifying into two tiers starting with the 2030 tournament: the top 36 nations, ranked by the 2028 Nations League, will compete in League 1 with three 12-team groups, while the remaining 18 nations will play separately in League 2. The new format aims to eliminate uncompetitive matchups and give lower-ranked teams better qualification chances, with all teams now playing six qualifying matches instead of the varying six or eight under previous rules.
20 May 2026 · Joy Online →