13 World Cup teams blast UEFA chief over ‘uninteresting’ matches remark

Thirteen national football associations, including World Cup newcomers Cape Verde, Curacao, and Uzbekistan, have jointly condemned UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin for reportedly labeling matches in the expanded World Cup as "completely uninteresting." The teams, in a statement, "respectfully but firmly reject" Ceferin's comments, which were quoted in the Slovenian newspaper Delo. They emphasized that for their nations, "there is no such thing as an unimportant World Cup match." The statement expressed deep disappointment, arguing that such remarks fail to acknowledge the immense efforts, sacrifices, and dreams of players, coaches, clubs, and supporters worldwide. Ceferin was quoted as saying the World Cup's expansion to 48 teams would dilute the tournament's quality. However, another Slovenian outlet reported Ceferin also stating that the expansion allows "even small countries to participate and feel the pulse of the World Cup, which is a big thing." The joint statement, signed by federations from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast, and South Africa, asserted that every participating team has earned its place on merit and deserves respect. "Every match carries meaning for millions of people around the world," the statement declared, reiterating their rejection of the UEFA President's comments. A UEFA spokesperson, when contacted, did not directly deny Ceferin's remarks but referred reporters to a recent interview where he did not mention the tournament's expansion.

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For our countries, there is no such thing as an unimportant World Cup match.