13 Federations Criticize UEFA Chief Over World Cup Remarks
UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin / Photo: UEFA
Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Thirteen national football federations issued a joint statement criticizing comments made by UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin regarding the expanded FIFA World Cup format featuring 48 teams.
The UEFA chief had previously expressed a negative view of the new expanded format, in which 48 national teams are participating in the final stage for the first time instead of the previous 32.
Čeferin argued that the increase in the number of participants would lead to “uninteresting” matches due to significant differences in team quality.
The federations — Cabo Verde, Curaçao, Uzbekistan, Congo, Haiti, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, and Côte d’Ivoire — expressed “deep disappointment” with the remarks.
In their statement, they “firmly but respectfully reject these comments.”
They said there is no concept of an unimportant World Cup match for their countries.
For Cabo Verde, Curaçao, and Uzbekistan, qualification for the FIFA World Cup was described as a historic achievement and the fulfilment of generations of dreams.
For Congo and Haiti, returning to football’s biggest stage after a long absence carries special significance for millions of fans who had waited years, and in some cases decades, for the moment.
The federations said such assessments ignore the efforts, sacrifices, and ambitions of players, coaches, clubs, football officials, and supporters around the world.
They stressed that behind every qualification lie years of work and investment, and that each national team represents entire communities for whom football is a source of pride, hope, and unity.
Football does not belong to a select group of countries. Its strength lies in its universality. The FIFA World Cup is the world’s largest tournament precisely because it brings together different cultures, histories, and footballing pathways.
For many countries, participation in the World Cup is not only a sporting achievement but also a moment that inspires new generations, accelerates football development, and creates long-lasting memories.
The federations emphasized that every team deserves respect and every match matters for millions of fans.
“Every team qualified on merit. Every match matters,” the statement said.
