A group of 13 World Cup teams from Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean has criticized UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin for allegedly saying the expanded 48-team tournament creates "uninteresting" matches.
In a joint statement released by the South Africa Football Association, the 13 nations expressed "a profound disappointment following the recent comments made by UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin regarding the expansion of the FIFA World Cup and his characterization of many matches as being "uninteresting."
"For our countries, there is no such thing as an unimportant World Cup match," the statement read. "To 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."
Čeferin's comments were quoted by Slovenian websites Žurnal 24 and Dosi last Monday at a conference in Ljubljana.
"We reject the UEFA President's comments and reaffirm our belief that the growth of football must continue to create opportunities, inspire new generations, and strengthen the truly global nature of our game," the statement added.
UEFA did not immediately respond to ESPN's request for comment.
Joining South Africa in the statement were World Cup debutants Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan, alongside Congo, Haiti, Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Tunisia.
"For Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan, qualification for the FIFA World Cup represents a historic achievement and the realization of a dream shared by generations," the statement said.
"For nations such as Congo and Haiti, returning to football's 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."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report