December 13, 2024

Infantino: Biennial World Cup plans have majority backing

Infantino: Biennial World Cup plans have majority backing
Gianni Infantino

The idea of holding a World Cup tournament every two years has divided opinion, with some arguing it will generate more excitement and others believing it could be overkill and dangerous to players' wellbeing.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has claimed that the majority of football's world leaders are in favour of a switch to a biennial World Cup.

The idea of holding a World Cup tournament every two years has divided opinion, with some arguing it will generate more excitement and others believing it could be overkill and dangerous to players' wellbeing.

A summit was held recently in which Infantino presented his case to the leaders of football federations from around the world, and as noted by ESPN, one of his biggest arguments was the extra $4.4bn in revenue that more tournaments would create.

That figure features in a 700-page feasibility report which FIFA have conducted to try and determine whether or not more World Cups would work, with the full findings set to be published at a later date.

"If I was going to a vote tomorrow, probably the majority would vote in favour of a World Cup every two years," Infantino confessed.

"But it is not the topic, we are looking at the entire calendar and how we can make football better and how many we can bring on board with a new way of organising the future in football."

Infantino then refused to confirm whether any formal vote would be held or discussed at the FIFA congress in Doha on March 31, 2022.

"It is about getting the right decisions for football at the end of the day and we will take the time that it takes, to come to this decision. I will not commit to anything at the congress. Everything is open and flexible," he said.

"We continue the dialogue, the analysis, we hope we can make progress, one way or the other, or some middle way, we will see."