“We have a lot of matches that are completely uninteresting,” Ceferin is reported to have said by a Slovenian news outlet. | Photo Credit: PAU BARRENA

A group of football federations from Asia, Africa and the Caribbean has criticised UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin over reported remarks questioning the quality of matches at the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup.

In a joint statement released on Sunday, the associations of Cape Verde, Congo, Curaçao, Haiti, Jordan and Uzbekistan expressed solidarity with fellow African nations Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia.

“Football does not belong to a select group of nations. Its strength comes from its universality,” the statement said, emphasising that World Cup participation inspires generations, boosts football development and creates lasting memories.

The federations did not directly cite Ceferin’s comments. However, Slovenian media outlets Zurnal24 and Dosi reported that the UEFA chief said at a conference in Ljubljana last week that the expanded tournament features “a huge number of matches that are completely uninteresting,” while acknowledging that it gives smaller nations the opportunity to experience the World Cup.

The statement strongly defended emerging and returning nations. Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan have qualified for their first World Cup, while Congo and Haiti have returned to the tournament for the first time since 1974.

“For these nations, qualification represents a historic achievement and the realization of a dream shared by generations,” the statement said. “To suggest that these matches are somehow less important is deeply disappointing and fails to recognize the efforts, sacrifices and aspirations of millions involved in football across the world.”

Published on Jun 15, 2026