Zurich: FIFA has given the green light to the biennial World Cup in men’s and women’s football. Currently, the FIFA World Cup is held every four years.
The proposal put forward by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) was approved by FIFA’s Annual Congress. The proposal received the support of 166 member countries. 22 countries voted against. FIFA has also decided to study the practicalities of hosting the World Cup every two years.
Changes to the World Cup could seriously affect club football, the Euro Cup and the Copa America. FIFA president Giovanni Infantino has said he will not support the Super League, which seeks to include the biggest clubs in European football. It has been held every four years since the first World Cup in 1930. The only exceptions were during World War II (1942 and 1946).
The Women’s World Cup, which began in 1991, is held every four years. In March last year, Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s director of development, suggested that the World Cup be shortened. Wenger has coached English Premier League club Arsenal for a long time. Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has made similar suggestions in 1999. Mr Blatter has been linked with a move toward national teams. Associations, including UEFA, have strongly criticized the proposal. Wenger’s theory was that reducing the interval between World Cups would increase revenue. Infantino said countries outside Europe would have the opportunity to play more matches.
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