‘There’s no such factor as an unimportant World Cup match,’ 13 World Cup participant nations say in an announcement.
Printed On 14 Jun 2026
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has been criticised by soccer governing our bodies in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean for reportedly saying that the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup has led to many “uninteresting” matches.
The soccer 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 mentioned in an announcement on Sunday that they “respectfully however firmly reject” Ceferin’s feedback.
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Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan certified for his or her first World Cup this 12 months, whereas DR Congo and Haiti reached soccer’s prime occasion for the primary time since 1974. Curacao lost to Germany 7-1 on Sunday of their match opener.
The 2026 match is the biggest ever, that includes 48 nations, up from 32 in earlier iterations.
“For our international locations, there isn’t any such factor as an unimportant World Cup match,” the assertion mentioned. “Soccer doesn’t belong to a choose group of countries. Its energy comes from its universality.”
“For a lot of international locations, participation within the FIFA World Cup isn’t solely a sporting achievement. It’s a second that conjures up a technology, accelerates soccer growth and creates recollections that final a lifetime.”
The assertion didn’t quote the remark by Ceferin. However he was quoted by the Slovenian web sites Zurnal 24 and Dosi as remarking on the topic final Monday at a convention in Ljubljana.
“Now we have an enormous variety of matches which can be utterly uninteresting,” he mentioned, based on Zurnal 24.
“Alternatively, even small international locations can take part and really feel the heartbeat of the World Cup, which is an enormous factor,” he added.
The joint assertion mentioned that the debutants’ qualification for the match represents a “historic achievement and the belief of a dream shared by generations”.
“For nations akin to Congo and Haiti, returning to soccer’s largest stage after a protracted absence carries a particular which means for tens of millions of supporters who’ve waited years, and in some instances many years, for this second.”
The assertion additionally underscored the years of labor and funding that go into qualifying for a World Cup. “Behind each nationwide group stand whole communities and tens of millions of people that see soccer as a supply of satisfaction, hope and unity.”
“To recommend that these matches are one way or the other much less essential is deeply disappointing and fails to acknowledge the efforts, sacrifices and aspirations of gamers, coaches, golf equipment, soccer leaders and supporters the world over,” the assertion added.
It concluded by saying: “We imagine that each nation that qualifies deserves respect.
“Each group has earned its place on advantage. Each supporter has the fitting to dream. Each match carries which means for tens of millions of individuals all over the world.
“We due to this fact reject the UEFA President’s feedback and reaffirm our perception that the expansion of soccer should proceed to create alternatives, encourage new generations and strengthen the really world nature of our recreation.”
