Uzbekistan and several nations firmly reject UEFA president's statement

Against the backdrop of the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, a major political and ideological debate has emerged. Critical remarks by UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin regarding the expanded format of the tournament have sparked widespread international backlash. National football associations from several continents, including the Uzbekistan Football Association, have issued a formal joint statement in response to the UEFA president's comments.

Published by renowned insider and sports commentator Ben Jacobs, this formal and firm appeal has been signed by the football leadership of 13 countries, including Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Curaçao, Congo, Haiti, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, and Ivory Coast.

“For us, there is no such thing as an insignificant match at the World Cup!”

The primary reason for the joint statement was Aleksander Čeferin’s description of certain matches in the new World Cup format as “uninteresting and insignificant” for viewers. Such arrogant remarks offended representatives from other continents who are working toward the development of global football.

The joint statement from the national associations highlights the following:

“While maintaining respect, we firmly reject these views held by the European football leader. For our countries and peoples, the concept of a meaningless or insignificant match in the final stage of the World Cup has never existed and never will. Specifically, for nations like Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, and Curaçao, which are constantly striving for progress, participating in the final stage of this global tournament is the realization of a multi-generational dream and a historic reality.”

You can familiarize yourself with the composition of the coalition united against the UEFA president and their key positions in the appeal through the following analytical table:

The power of football lies in its ability to unite nations

The authors also noted that for teams like Congo and Haiti, who have returned to the big stage after a long absence, this World Cup is a true celebration that millions of passionate fans have waited years for. The statement firmly emphasizes that no team was simply handed a spot; every team earned this right through fair and intense competition on the green pitch, based on pure sporting principles.

“The true power of the beautiful game lies not in it belonging to any specific continent, but in its universality—it belongs to the whole world and can unite peoples of different languages and cultures. Every nation has sweated on the pitch to claim this sacred right. Therefore, every second and every match at the World Cup is of invaluable importance to us,” the statement concludes.

As a reminder, the 2026 World Cup, the planet's biggest football festival, is currently captivating audiences in stadiums across the USA, Mexico, and Canada, and will conclude with the final match on July 19 of this year. We wish our national team great success on this historic journey!

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