2026 World Cup: 13 federations, including Morocco and Senegal, condemn UEFA over lack of recognition | OneFootball

Thirteen federations from nations qualified for the 2026 World Cup, including Morocco and Senegal, condemned on Sunday recent remarks by UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, who said the 48-team expansion produces matches of no interest.

In a joint statement, the federations rejected those comments, insisting that for their countries every World Cup match carries significance.

The signatories were Cape Verde, Curaçao, Uzbekistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast and South Africa.

They said implying some fixtures are less important is deeply disappointing and reflects a lack of recognition for the efforts and aspirations of players, coaches, clubs, officials and supporters worldwide.

They also stressed that football does not belong to a small group of nations and that every qualified team deserves respect, having earned its place on merit.

Source: L'Équipe