Several National Football Federations (Associations) have strongly challenged UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin opposing his firm stance against expanding the 2030 World Cup.
Čeferin has described the plan as a poor decision that would reduce the tournament’s quality and further burden qualification calendars and player welfare, while also referring to many matches as “uninteresting.”
In a joint communiqué, the football associations of Cape Verde, Curaçao, Uzbekistan, Congo, Haiti, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and South Africa expressed profound disappointment and firmly rejected his comments.
They stressed that there is no such thing as an unimportant World Cup match, highlighting that qualification represents historic dreams and moments of pride for their nations and millions across the world.
The federations emphasised football’s universality, noting that every team qualifies on merit and every match carries deep meaning as a source of hope, unity and development.
CONMEBOL leaders, including President Alejandro Domínguez, and representatives from Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay are leading support for the one-off expansion to mark the competition’s centenary. They highlight benefits including greater global participation, increased revenue, and broader football development.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has expressed openness to the proposal while calling for wide consensus. No final decision has been reached, with approval needed at a future FIFA Congress where UEFA’s influence could be significant.
The discussions underscore continuing differences between FIFA and UEFA during the current 48 team 2026 World Cup in North America.