FIFA risks plunging the world of soccer into a new conflict with its proposal to hold the World Cup every two years instead of four, raising the possibility of a divorce with leading clubs and the powerful European leagues.
The proposal, first floated in the 1990s, was revived in March by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, now head of soccer development at FIFA.
In May, FIFA president Gianni Infantino agreed, at the request of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, to launch a “feasibility study” into the proposal, making it clear that he is open to reforming the international calendar.
Photo: Reuters
With Wenger saying he hopes the consultation process will be completed by the end of the year, the powerful European leagues have stepped up their opposition.
FIFA’s central argument is that a biennial World Cup would create more profits that could be distributed to federations in Africa, Asia and South America, who have a greater reliance on FIFA funds than the wealthy European leagues.
Wenger says the idea would be to have a final phase every summer from 2025-2026, alternating World Cups and continental tournaments such as the European Championships and Copa America.
Qualifying matches would be grouped together in October, or in October and March.
He refutes the argument that the players would face increased strain, arguing that they would have to make fewer long journeys and would have a minimum of 25 days rest after playing in summer tournaments for their countries.
“Today’s calendar is outdated,” Wenger said. “We want to organize it in a more efficient way.”
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin is fiercely opposed to the proposal and threatened that European nations and South American powerhouses such as Brazil and Argentina would boycott a biennial World Cup.
“We can decide not to play in it. As far as I know, the South Americans are on the same page. So good luck with a World Cup like that,” he told the Times newspaper on Thursday. “I think it will never happen as it is so much against the basic principles of football.”
South American federation CONMEBOL followed that up with a strongly worded statement on Friday, saying the proposal would “distort the most important football competition on the planet”.
“There is no sporting justification for shortening the period between World Cups,” CONMEBOL said.
Major European clubs have opposed it as well.
“I’m not a fan of it,” Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann said, adding that “if you want more value, make yourself rare.”
Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp on Friday said that FIFA’s proposal was “all about money.”
The European Club Association, which represents the continent’s biggest clubs, said it believed there was no space in the calendar for the proposals and complained that FIFA had not contacted it to discuss the matter.
The World Leagues Forum, which speaks for 42 leagues around the globe, said the two-year proposal was detrimental to the economic interests of soccer and the players’ health.
Perhaps sensing it was losing the battle of public opinion, FIFA gathered together a group of illustrious former players and coaches in Doha this week to defend the idea of a biennial World Cup.
One of those present, former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, said: “We all were in agreement.”
Brazilian World Cup winner Ronaldo said that if you asked the world’s two best current players, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, “I’m sure they will all say yes.”
FIFA holds the key. Any final decision on the proposal would have to be made by a FIFA Congress, which usually takes place in May.
Even if the governing body decides to go ahead, it seems unlikely that European clubs — where the best players are mostly concentrated — would be prepared to part with their expensive assets for a month at a time, with the increased risk of injury that would bring.
FIFA could also face legal challenges from clubs.
Nottingham Forest FC are to go into the Europa League play-off round after a 4-0 win over Ferencvaros TC on Thursday, while Celtic FC secured their place in the knockout phase with a victory over FC Utrecht. Aston Villa FC finished second in the league phase after recovering from two goals down to beat FC Red Bull Salzburg 3-2 with their spot in the last 16 already assured. Forest stood an outside chance of climbing into the top eight going into the final round of matches, but needed to beat Robbie Keane’s Ferencvaros and rely on other results going their way. Sean Dyche’s
HEATED RIVALRY: The pair had met 14 times previously, with Sabalenka winning eight of the encounters and entering the final as the favorite to take the title Elena Rybakina took revenge over world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to win a nail-biting Australian Open final yesterday and clinch her second Grand Slam title. The big-serving Kazakh fifth seed held her nerve to pull through 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne in 2 hours, 18 minutes. It was payback after the Belarusian Sabalenka won the 2023 final between two of the hardest hitters in women’s tennis. The ice-cool Rybakina, 26, who was born in Moscow, adds her Melbourne triumph to her Wimbledon win in 2022. It was more disappointment in a major final for Sabalenka, who won the US Open
Denver superstar Nikola Jokic returned from a 16-game injury absence to post a 31-point, 12-rebound double-double on Friday and propel the Nuggets to a 122-109 NBA victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. Three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Jokic had not played since suffering a bone bruise in the left knee he hyperextended in a game against Miami on Dec. 29 last year. The Serbian big man did not miss a beat. He led all scorers, connecting on eight of 11 shots from the field, and also handed out five assists with three steals while playing just 24 minutes, 32 seconds as the
BATTERED AND BRUISED: Alcaraz suffered a cramp in the third set, but was allowed treatment despite Zverev’s protests, and continued on to win in five-and-a-half hours An ailing Carlos Alcaraz battled past Alexander Zverev yesterday in five epic sets to reach his first Australian Open final and move within a match of becoming the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam. The world No. 1 outlasted the German third seed 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (3/7), 6-7 (4/7), 7-5 over a titanic 5 hours, 27 minutes in hot conditions to head to tomorrow’s title match. He only narrowly avoided crashing out after a huge fright at 4-4 in the third set when he pulled up in pain with what appeared to be cramp. He was allowed to have treatment
RSS