A coalition of football federations from Africa, the Caribbean, Central Asia and beyond has issued a strongly worded joint communiqué expressing disappointment over recent comments made by UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin regarding the expansion of the FIFA World Cup.
The statement, signed by the football associations of Senegal, Cape Verde, Curaçao, Uzbekistan, Congo, Haiti, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast and South Africa, was released in response to remarks in which Čeferin reportedly criticized the enlarged FIFA World Cup format and described many qualification matches as being of little interest.
The federations rejected that characterization, insisting that for their nations, there is no such thing as an unimportant World Cup match.
“For our countries, there is no FIFA World Cup match without importance,” the statement declared. “Qualification for the FIFA World Cup represents a historic achievement and the realization of a dream shared by generations.”
The signatories argued that suggesting some qualification matches are less significant disregards the sacrifices and aspirations of players, coaches, clubs, administrators and supporters across the globe.
According to the communiqué, every World Cup qualification campaign is built on years of investment, planning and hard work. The federations emphasized that behind every national team are entire communities and millions of people who see football as a source of pride, hope and unity.
The statement also highlighted the global nature of the sport, stressing that football does not belong to a select group of privileged decision-makers. Instead, its strength lies in its universality and its ability to bring together different cultures, histories and footballing traditions.
“The FIFA World Cup is the greatest football competition in the world precisely because it brings together different cultures, different histories and different footballing journeys,” the communiqué stated.
The federations further noted that participation in the World Cup is often much more than a sporting achievement. For many nations, qualification inspires future generations, accelerates football development and creates memories that last a lifetime.
Concluding their message, the associations called for greater respect for every nation that earns its place on football’s biggest stage.
“Every nation that qualifies deserves respect. Every team has qualified on merit. Every match counts.”
The unified response represents one of the strongest collective reactions from non-European football federations in recent years and underscores growing support for FIFA’s efforts to expand global representation at the World Cup.
