Aleksander Ceferin's 'uninteresting' World Cup comments spark backlash

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said there are "an enormous number of matches that are totally not interesting" after the World Cup expansion. His comments were made in Slovenia and refer to the increase from 32 to 48 participants. Smaller football nations expressed anger. Federations of Curaçao, Cape Verde, Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Jordan and Uzbekistan drafted a joint statement condemning the remarks. The statement, circulated by fourteen World Cup participants, stresses that football belongs to all nations and that the tournament inspires generations. It highlights that for many countries World Cup qualification is more than a sporting achievement. The eight African participants that signed in solidarity are Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia. The declaration notes that for Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan the qualification fulfills a long‑cherished dream. For Congo and Haiti the return after a long absence holds special meaning for millions of supporters. Ceferin also said the expansion offers smaller nations a chance to take part, yet he called some matches uninteresting. The UEFA has not yet responded to the criticism from the federations. Curaçao made its World Cup debut against Germany in the opening match.