Fourteen federations reject Ceferin remarks on 48-team World Cup

Fourteen football associations from Asia, Africa and the Caribbean said on Sunday they “respectfully but firmly reject” reported remarks by UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin about the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup producing “uninteresting” matches.

In a joint statement, the federations said every World Cup match carries sporting and social weight for their countries, describing qualification as a major achievement that can inspire a generation and accelerate football development. The statement did not quote Ceferin directly, but it referenced comments attributed to him at a conference in Ljubljana last Monday.

Ceferin was reported by Slovenian media to have criticised the enlarged tournament format, saying there are “a huge number of matches that are completely uninteresting.” The federations argued that such language overlooks the work and investment required to qualify and the communities behind each national team.

The signatories were the associations of Cape Verde, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Curacao, Haiti, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia.

The statement said Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan qualified for their first World Cup this year. It added that DR Congo and Haiti reached the tournament for the first time since 1974, describing their return as especially meaningful for supporters who have waited decades.

Federations say every match has meaning

“For our countries, there is no such thing as an unimportant World Cup match,” the statement said, adding that football’s strength comes from its universality and that participation can bring pride, hope and unity to millions.

It said qualification is not only a sporting milestone but also a moment that creates lasting memories and builds momentum for the game at home, from grassroots participation to investment in national-team structures.

The federations said the debutants’ presence at the tournament represents a historic achievement “shared by generations,” and warned that dismissing matches as less important fails to recognise the sacrifices made by players, coaches and supporters.

Context: 2026 is the biggest World Cup

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to be the largest edition of the tournament, expanding to 48 teams from the previous 32-team format.

The federations concluded by saying every nation that qualifies “deserves respect,” and that growth of the sport should continue to create opportunities and strengthen football’s global character.

Attention now turns to whether UEFA or Ceferin responds publicly to the joint statement and how the debate over tournament expansion develops ahead of 2026.