The African Confederation supports the World Cup project every two years.
The African Football Confederation (CAF) on Friday gave its support to the “decision of the Fifa Congress to conduct a feasibility studyFor a biennial World Cup, instead of the usual quadrennial rhythm.
CAF is thus the first confederation to officially and publicly approve the controversial plan to hold a World Cup every two years, at the same pace as its African Cup of Nations.
The body in charge of African football meeting in Extraordinary General Assembly at its headquarters in Cairo has also voted in favor of a Super League of African clubs for which it has so far given neither composition nor calendar.
These unanimous show of hands come less than a month before a virtual summit convened by Fifa, the governing body of world football, to discuss on December 20 (without a vote) this proposal for a biennial World Cup, which encountered a great many reluctance, mainly in Europe.
Between billions of euros in lost earnings estimated according to a report commissioned by UEFA, and threats “d’actions“Coming from Nordic federations, there have been many oppositions since Fifa made public its ambition.
Battle
UEFA, the South American Football Confederation, the World Leagues Forum and the powerful European Club Association have launched their battle to avoid overloading an already extremely dense schedule.
But the head of the body, Gianni Infantino, who dreams of launching his biennial World Cup from the 2028 edition, can count on the support of less dominant confederations in global football.
On paper, the project promises to distribute more income to federations, a particularly attractive argument for African or Asian authorities, more dependent on this windfall than prosperous European football.
South America also strongly opposed the idea, rejecting FIFA’s proposal at the end of October, which “turns its back on nearly 100 years of world football tradition“, Despite the seduction campaign led by Fifa on the continent.
The format of the World Cup has already been changed recently, since 48 teams will participate in the men’s tournament in 2026, including nine from the African zone, against 32 currently.
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