{"id":3743,"date":"2026-06-14T20:12:03","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T20:12:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=3743"},"modified":"2026-06-14T20:12:03","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T20:12:03","slug":"uefa-head-ceferin-criticized-for-allegedly-saying-expanded-world-cup-creates-uninteresting-matches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=3743","title":{"rendered":"UEFA head \u010ceferin criticized for allegedly saying expanded World Cup creates uninteresting matches"},"content":{"rendered":"
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UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin on the tribune before the Champions League final soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal in Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, May 30, 2026. (AP Photo\/Petr Josek)<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

UEFA President Aleksander \u010ceferin was criticized Sunday by soccer governing bodies in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean for allegedly saying the expanded 48-team World Cup<\/a> creates uninteresting matches.<\/p>

Read more Havertz sparks Germany\u2019s 7-1 rout of Cura\u00e7ao after underdogs\u2019 historic 1st goal in World Cup<\/a><\/p>\n

The associations of Cape Verde, Congo, Cura\u00e7ao, Haiti, Jordan and Uzbekistan issued a joint statement they said was in solidarity with the federations of Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia.<\/p>\n

\u201cFootball does not belong to a select group of nations. Its strength comes from its universality,\u201d the statement said. \u201cFor 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

The statement didn\u2019t cite the comment by \u010ceferin. He was quoted by the Slovenian websites Zurnal 24 and Dosi as remarking on the subject last Monday at a conference in Ljubljana.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a huge number of matches that are completely uninteresting,\u201d he said, according to Zurnal 24, while adding the expansion allows small countries to participate and experience the tournament\u2019s excitement.<\/p>

Read more Australia edges Bangladesh with 1-wicket win in 3rd one-day international to avoid sweep<\/a><\/p>\n

UEFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The federations issuing the statement, which was released by South Africa’s federation<\/a> , also didn\u2019t immediately respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n

Cape Verde, Cura\u00e7ao, Jordan and Uzbekistan qualified for their first World Cup, while Congo and Haiti reached soccer\u2019s top event for the first time since 1974. Cura\u00e7ao lost to Germany 7-1 Sunday in its opener<\/a> .<\/p>\n

\u201cFor Cape Verde, Cura\u00e7ao, Jordan and Uzbekistan, qualification for the FIFA World Cup represents a historic achievement and the realization of a dream shared by generations,\u201d the statement said. \u201cFor nations such as Congo and Haiti, returning to football\u2019s biggest stage after a long absence carries a special meaning for millions of supporters who have waited years, and in some cases decades, for this moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo suggest that these matches are somehow less important is deeply disappointing and fails to recognize the efforts, sacrifices and aspirations of players, coaches, clubs, football leaders and supporters across the world,\u201d the statement added.<\/p>

Read more Deepti Sharma rips through Pakistan as India opens its Women\u2019s T20 World Cup quest with big win<\/a><\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

AP World Cup coverage: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/fifa-world-cup<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

UEFA President Aleksander \u010ceferin was criticized by soccer governing bodies in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean for allegedly saying the expanded 48-team World Cup creates uninteresting matches<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3741,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"yoast_head":"\nUEFA head \u010ceferin criticized for allegedly saying expanded World Cup creates uninteresting matches - Moving Insider USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=3743\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UEFA head \u010ceferin criticized for allegedly saying expanded World Cup creates uninteresting matches - 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