African, Caribbean and Asian Football Federations unite against UEFA President’s World Cup remarks

A coalition of football associations from Africa, the Caribbean and Asia has issued a strongly worded joint communiqué rejecting comments made by UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin regarding the expansion of the FIFA World Cup and his characterization of many matches at the tournament as “uninteresting.”

The statement, signed by the football federations of Cape Verde, Curaçao, Uzbekistan, Congo, Haiti, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and South Africa, expressed “profound disappointment” with the UEFA chief’s remarks and defended the value and significance of every match played at football’s biggest global event.

“We respectfully but firmly reject these comments,” the federations stated, emphasizing that for many nations, qualification for the FIFA World Cup represents the culmination of decades of effort, sacrifice and ambition.

The associations argued that there is “no such thing as an unimportant World Cup match,” particularly for emerging football nations and countries returning to the global stage after long absences.

According to the communiqué, qualification for nations such as Cape Verde, Curaçao and Uzbekistan marks a historic achievement and the realization of dreams shared across generations. The statement further highlighted the significance of participation for countries like Congo and Haiti, where a return to the World Cup carries immense emotional value for supporters who have waited years—and in some cases decades—for such an opportunity.

The federations stressed that describing some World Cup matches as less important fails to acknowledge the work undertaken by players, coaches, football administrators and supporters around the world.

“Behind every qualification stand years of work and investment. Behind every national team stand entire communities and millions of people who see football as a source of pride, hope and unity,” the statement read.

The coalition also defended FIFA’s decision to expand the World Cup, arguing that football’s strength lies in its universality rather than being limited to a select group of nations. The federations noted that the tournament’s global appeal stems from its ability to bring together diverse cultures, histories and football traditions.

They further emphasized that participation in the World Cup goes beyond sporting achievement, serving as a source of inspiration for younger generations and helping to accelerate football development in countries across the globe.

“For many countries, participation in the FIFA World Cup is not only a sporting achievement. It is a moment that inspires a generation, accelerates football development and creates memories that last a lifetime,” the communiqué stated.

Reaffirming their commitment to the continued growth of the game, the signatories said football’s expansion creates opportunities, inspires future generations and strengthens the truly global nature of the sport.

The statement concluded with a clear message directed at critics of the expanded World Cup format: “Every team qualified on merit. Every match matters.”

The joint declaration represents one of the strongest collective responses from football associations outside Europe in recent years and highlights growing support among developing football nations for FIFA’s efforts to broaden participation at the World Cup.

The communiqué was signed by the football federations of Cape Verde, Curaçao, Uzbekistan, Congo and Haiti, with the support of the football associations of Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and South Africa.