Why UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin did not attend the Club World Cup

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has continued to express his disapproval of FIFA's Club World Cup, as tensions rise between European football's governing body and the global federation.

According to The Athletic, Ceferin refused to attend the recently concluded tournament in the United States, despite his position as FIFA vice-president by virtue of his UEFA presidency. While leaders of other continental federations were present at various stages of the competition, Ceferin remained notably absent throughout.

UEFA wary of FIFA’s expanding influence over club football

Ceferin’s absence reportedly stems from concerns over FIFA’s increasing involvement in the club game, including the expansion of the Club World Cup and discussions over turning the competition into a biennial event.

Sources indicate that UEFA officials fear the tournament may one day rival or undermine the Champions League’s dominance as the world’s premier club competition. The escalating tension has cast a shadow over the cooperation between the two powerful organisations.

Infantino eyes bigger stage for World Cup and more European clubs

At a press conference held at Trump Tower in Manhattan on Saturday, July 12, FIFA president Gianni Infantino refused to rule out changes to the Club World Cup format. He spoke about increasing the number of participating European clubs in future editions, and even suggested the possibility of the tournament being staged every two years.

Infantino named clubs such as Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona, Milan and Napoli as sides he would like to see involved.

He also highlighted the competition’s commercial success, noting:

“For 63 matches, the average is $33 million per game. There is no other club competition in the world that comes close. It is already the most successful club competition in all aspects.”

UEFA says Ceferin was focused on Women’s EURO

When The Athletic approached UEFA to clarify Ceferin’s absence from the Club World Cup, the governing body responded via an unnamed spokesperson:

“In case you forgot, all the attention of UEFA and its president is currently focused on the Women’s EURO. This is an important event for us, and understandably requires a lot of commitment and attention.”

However, records show that Ceferin only attended one of the opening 22 matches of the UEFA Women’s EURO, held in Switzerland. Moreover, the Club World Cup began on June 13 – nearly three weeks before the Women’s tournament kicked off on July 2.

This article was originally published on Trivela.