Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin has been criticised by 13 World Cup nations who said he had claimed an expanded tournament led to many matches being “uninteresting”.
A joint statement was released on Sunday by several nations competing at the tournament in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
The football associations of Cape Verde, Curacao, Uzbekistan, DR Congo, Haiti, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast and South Africa have come together to “express their profound disappointment” at Ceferin.
He had reportedly told a conference in Ljubljana, in his native Slovenia, the growth from 32 teams to 48 would lead to less attractive games in world football’s showpiece event.
“We have a lot of matches that are completely uninteresting,” Ceferin is reported to have said by a Slovenian news outlet, external.
“On the other hand, even small countries can participate and feel the pulse of the World Cup, which is a big thing,”
But that has produced a backlash from some of the nations who have benefited following Fifa’s decision to make this year’s tournament bigger.
Their statement read: “We respectfully but firmly reject these comments.
“For our countries, there is no such thing as an unimportant World Cup match.
“For Cape Verde, Curacao and Uzbekistan, qualification for the Fifa World Cup represents a historic achievement and the realisation of a dream shared by generations.
“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.
“To suggest that these matches are somehow less important is deeply disappointing and fails to recognise the efforts, sacrifices and aspirations of players, coaches, clubs, football leaders and supporters across the world.”
This is the first time the World Cup has been expanded since it went from 24 teams to 32 back in 1998.
The joint statement added: “Behind every qualification stand years of work and investment. Behind every national team stand entire communities and millions of people who see football as a source of pride, hope and unity.
“Football does not belong to a select group of nations. Its strength comes from its universality.
“We believe every nation that qualifies deserves respect. Every team has earned its place on merit. Every supporter has the right to dream. Every match carries meaning for millions of people around the world.
“We therefore 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.”
Uefa has been contacted for comment by BBC Sport.