Several federations of countries participating in the 2026 World Cup, including Morocco and Senegal, criticized on Sunday (14) the recent statements by UEFA president, Slovenian Aleksander Ceferin, according to which the expansion of the tournament to 48 teams would lead to “uninteresting” games.
“We respectfully but firmly reject these statements. For our countries, no World Cup match is without importance,” the federations of Cape Verde, Curaçao, Uzbekistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast and South Africa said in a joint statement sent to AFP.
“For Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan, qualifying for the World Cup represents a historic achievement and the realization of a dream shared by generations; and for nations like Congo and Haiti, the return to football’s biggest stage after a long absence has a special meaning for millions of fans who have waited years, even decades, for this moment,” the note adds.
“To suggest that these games are in any way less important is deeply disappointing and reflects a lack of recognition of the efforts, sacrifices and aspirations of players, coaches, clubs, officials and fans around the world,” the federations said.
“Football does not belong to a small group of nations”, continues the document, which highlights that “each classified country deserves respect and has earned its place on its own merits”.
Aleksander Ceferin said, in an interview with a Slovenian television channel, that several games at the 2026 World Cup have been “uninteresting”.
The director alluded to the expansion of the tournament organized jointly by the United States, Mexico and Canada, which brings together 48 teams and will have 104 matches until the final, on July 19.
