Thirteen World Cup nations have united in fury against Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin after he reportedly described matches at the expanded 2026 tournament as “completely uninteresting”.
The football associations of Cape Verde, Curacao, Uzbekistan, DR Congo, Haiti, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast and South Africa issued a joint statement on Sunday expressing their “profound disappointment” at Ceferin’s remarks.
“13 World Cup nations reject Uefa president Ceferin's claim that expanded tournament has 'uninteresting' matches.”
Ceferin had told a conference in Ljubljana, his native Slovenia, that the growth from 32 teams to 48 – the first expansion since 1998 – would produce less attractive games. “We have a lot of matches that are completely uninteresting,” he was reported as saying by a Slovenian news outlet, adding that “even small countries can participate and feel the pulse of the World Cup, which is a big thing”.
But the nations that have benefited from Fifa’s decision pushed back firmly. “We respectfully but firmly reject these comments,” their statement read. “For our countries, there is no such thing as an unimportant World Cup match.”
The statement highlighted the significance of qualification for smaller nations: “For Cape Verde, Curacao and Uzbekistan, qualification for the Fifa World Cup represents a historic achievement and the realisation of a dream shared by generations. For nations such as Congo and Haiti, returning to football's biggest stage after a long absence carries a special meaning for millions of supporters who have waited years, and in some cases decades, for this moment.”
It added: “To suggest that these matches are somehow less important is deeply disappointing and fails to recognise the efforts, sacrifices and aspirations of players, coaches, clubs, football leaders and supporters across the world.”
Underpinning the rebuke was a broader defence of football’s universality. “Football does not belong to a select group of nations. Its strength comes from its universality,” the statement said. “We believe every nation that qualifies deserves respect. Every team has earned its place on merit. Every supporter has the right to dream. Every match carries meaning for millions of people around the world.”
BBC Sport has contacted Uefa for comment on the backlash, but no response has been reported yet.