“There is no such thing as an unimportant World Cup match,” the 13 participating countries said in a statement.
Published June 14, 2026
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has said that the expansion of the FIFA World Cup to 48 teams has led to more “uninteresting” matches, which has drawn criticism from soccer’s governing bodies in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean.
The football associations of Cape Verde, Democratic Republic of Congo, Curacao, Haiti, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia said in a statement on Sunday that they “respectfully but firmly reject” Ceferin’s comments.
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Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan qualified for their first World Cup this year, while the Democratic Republic of Congo and Haiti advanced to soccer’s premier competition for the first time since 1974. Curacao lost to Germany 7-1 in the tournament’s opening game on Sunday.
The 2026 tournament will be the largest ever, with 48 countries participating, up from 32 last time.
“There is no such thing as a World Cup match that is not important for both countries,” the statement said. “Soccer does not belong to any particular group of countries. Its strength comes from its universality.”
“For many countries, participating in the FIFA World Cup is not only a sporting achievement; it is a moment that inspires generations, accelerates the development of football and creates memories that will last a lifetime.”
Ceferin’s comments were not quoted in the statement. However, Slovenian websites Zrnar24 and Dosi reported that he spoke about this at a conference in Ljubljana last Monday.
“There are a huge number of matches that are not interesting at all,” he said, according to Zurnar 24 newspaper.
“On the other hand, it’s a big thing that even small countries can participate and feel the pulse of the World Cup,” he added.
A joint statement said the debutants’ qualification to the tournament signifies “an historic achievement and the realization of a dream shared by generations.”
“For countries like Congo and Haiti, returning to football’s biggest stage after a long absence has special meaning for the millions of supporters who have been waiting for this moment for years, even decades.”
The statement also emphasized the years of hard work and investment that have gone into qualifying for the World Cup. “Behind each national team stands an entire community and millions of people who see football as a source of pride, hope and unity.”
“To suggest that these matches are of any lesser importance is extremely disappointing and fails to recognize the hard work, sacrifices and aspirations of players, coaches, clubs, football leaders and supporters around the world,” the statement added.
The paper concludes as follows. “We believe that all countries that qualify deserve respect.
“Every team has earned its place on merit. Every supporter has the right to dream. Every match has meaning for millions of people around the world.
“We therefore reject the comments of the UEFA President and reaffirm our belief that the growth of football must continue to create opportunities, inspire new generations and strengthen the truly global nature of our game.”
