UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin is facing growing resistance after criticizing the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup, describing parts of the tournament as lacking appeal and questioning the competitive value of some matches.
His remarks, made amid the ongoing 2026 edition in North America, have triggered a rare coordinated response from 13 national football federations.
The 2026 World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, is the first to feature 48 teams, up from 32, a shift approved by FIFA in 2017 to broaden global representation and create more pathways for emerging football nations.
The expanded format includes 12 groups of four, a Round of 32, and a total of 104 matches, significantly extending the tournament and increasing participation across continents long underrepresented at the elite level.
Ceferin’s reported comments, delivered during a conference in Slovenia, suggested the enlarged format had produced a high volume of “uninteresting” games.
