13 World Cup Teams Push Back on UEFA Chief Over Tournament Expansion

Thirteen national football associations that qualified for the 2026 World Cup issued an unusual joint statement on Sunday against UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, after he criticized the expanded tournament and suggested it could produce “uninteresting” matches. The signatories said they were “deeply disappointed” and rejected his comments “respectfully, but firmly.”

The statement said, “For our countries there is no such thing as a meaningless World Cup match.” The teams added that every qualified side earned its place and that each game carries huge significance for players, coaches, fans and entire nations. They stressed that football is not owned by a small group of countries, but by its universality and its power to connect cultures and communities.

The response comes amid the broader debate over the 2026 World Cup format, which will be played with 48 teams for the first time. The tournament has been expanded from 32 teams to 48 and will include 104 matches, a major change from previous editions. In Europe, critics have warned that the bigger format could hurt sporting quality, while many countries outside the continent see it as a historic chance to broaden global representation.

For several of the signatories, including Cape Verde, Curacao and Uzbekistan, qualification marks a first World Cup appearance. The associations ended their message with the line: “Every team qualified on merit. Every fan has the right to dream. Every match matters to millions around the world.”