Home Sports FIFA will discuss the World Cup every two years on 30 September

FIFA will discuss the World Cup every two years on 30 September

The International Football Association (FIFA) announced Monday that it intends to hold a virtual summit on the 30th of this month to consult with member associations on its controversial plan to hold the World Cup every two years rather than every four years.

“Following the calls made in early September to interested parties, including all confederations, discussions will take place in the coming weeks,” he said. in a note Monday.

“On September 15, 2021, FIFA also invited its affiliated associations to the first summit online of 30 September 2021. This is one of the many opportunities to establish a constructive and open dialogue in the coming months, both globally and regionally. . “.

The idea of ​​organizing the World Cup once every two years, which appeared in vain in the 1990s, was launched in early March by former Arsenal manager and current FIFA development director Arsene Wenger, but in recent days he has faced the great opposition.

FIFA launched one “studio of feasibility “proposed by the Saudi Federation for the game, during the 71st meeting of the FIFA General Assembly, which was held on May 21, 2021.

However, FIFA’s proposals met with objections, in particular by Slovenian European Union (UEFA) President Aleksandar Ceferin, considering that this plan would “weaken” the World Cup, while the World Leagues Forum felt it “undermined” the well-being of the players and CONMEBOL believed that the shortening of the interval “is not justified”.

One of the most important arguments for its establishment every two years is that it could bring additional revenue to be distributed to the federations in Africa, Asia and South America, which depend heavily on FIFA funding compared to rich European associations.

According to Wenger, the idea will be to organize the finals every summer starting from the 2025-2026 season, alternating the World Cup and continental tournaments such as the Champions Cup and Copa America, with the qualifiers grouped together. in one month: October, or two months: October and March.

Wenger avoided the risk of overloading international players a little more, as they would take fewer long trips and benefit from “at least 25 days” of rest after summer competitions with their national teams.

In its statement on Monday, FIFA said: “Because it is a football project and priority in it is the global interest of football, this process started with players and coaches from all over the world. The technical advisory groups were set up under the supervision of Arsene Wenger, head of global football development at FIFA, and coach Jill Ellis, two-time Women’s World Cup winner.

“The discussion will also include fans from around the world,” he revealed, adding, “FIFA is committed to being a forum for meaningful discussions involving a wide range of stakeholders, including fans, and looks forward to discussions on sustainability growth. of football in all regions of the world and at all levels “.

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