Several football associations, including South Africa and a group of African and international nations, have jointly expressed strong disagreement with remarks made by Aleksander Čeferin regarding the expansion of the FIFA World Cup.
The statement, issued on 14 June 2026, comes from the football associations of Cape Verde, Curaçao, Uzbekistan, Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and South Africa.
The federations responded to comments attributed to the UEFA president, in which he reportedly described some World Cup matches as “uninteresting” in the context of the tournament’s expansion.
In their joint statement, the associations said they “respectfully but firmly reject” the remarks, arguing that every World Cup match carries significance, particularly for nations for whom qualification represents a historic milestone.
“For our countries, there is no such thing as an unimportant World Cup match,” the statement read.
The federations highlighted that for smaller and emerging football nations such as Cape Verde, Curaçao and Uzbekistan, qualification for the World Cup represents a historic achievement and the fulfilment of long-standing national dreams.
They also noted that for countries such as Congo and Haiti, a return to football’s biggest stage after long absences holds deep emotional and symbolic importance for supporters.
The statement further emphasized that the FIFA World Cup is built on global inclusion, and that every participating nation contributes to the tournament’s cultural and sporting diversity.
“Football does not belong to a select group of nations. Its strength comes from its universality,” the statement added.
The associations also stressed that every qualifying team has earned its place on merit and that each match represents years of preparation, investment, and national development.
The joint response reflects ongoing debate in global football over tournament expansion and competitive balance, as well as the growing representation of emerging football nations on the world stage.
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