Thirteen Nations Reject UEFA President’s Warning on Expanded World Cup Matches
Aleksander Ceferin said the 48-team format would produce many uninteresting matches. Thirteen football associations issued a joint statement rejecting the comments.
The BbcUEFA president Aleksander Ceferin stated that expanding the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams would lead to many matches being uninteresting. " Thirteen national football associations released a joint statement on Sunday rejecting the comments. The associations of Cape Verde, Curacao, Uzbekistan, DR Congo, Haiti, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast and South Africa expressed "profound disappointment" at Ceferin.
The statement said there is no such thing as an unimportant World Cup match for the signatory countries. It added that qualification for the FIFA World Cup represents a historic achievement and the realisation of a dream for Cape Verde, Curacao and Uzbekistan.
The associations said returning to the World Cup after a long absence carries special meaning for millions of supporters in Congo and Haiti.
They stated that suggesting matches involving these nations are less important is deeply disappointing. The statement noted that behind every qualification stand years of work and investment. It said football does not belong to a select group of nations and that every nation that qualifies deserves respect.
"Every team has earned its place on merit," the associations wrote. They rejected the UEFA president's comments and reaffirmed their belief that the growth of football must continue. This year's FIFA World Cup is the first expanded edition since the tournament grew from 24 to 32 teams in 1998.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada. UEFA has been contacted for comment by BBC Sport.
