FIFA stepped up its push to host the men’s World Cup every two years on Thursday, drawing support from football fans around the world to help counter resistance from Europe and South America. The latest public relations strategy emerged in the form of an online survey commissioned by FIFA. The Associated Press does not routinely report claims from opinion polls conducted on the Internet. FIFA’s statement did not provide details of the data, voting method or questions asked, but claimed that its findings show “considerable differences between so-called traditional markets and developing football markets”.
European football body UEFA and South American counterpart CONMEBOL opposed FIFA’s plan and threatened to boycott additional World Cups. Europe and South America combine for 65 of FIFA’s 211 members, less than a third of the total required to block any proposal.
The governing bodies of the six continental football federations all stage their own championships, with Europe hosting its tournament every four years between the World Cups. Adding an additional World Cup every four-year cycle would likely cut into the European event’s revenue stream.
Women already have two major world tournaments held every four-year cycle as the top teams and the best players compete in the Olympics as well as the Women’s World Cup.
FIFA’s latest survey comes a week after the 2022 World Cup host nation Qatar hosted nearly 80 former international players, including several World Cup winners, for a two-day meeting.
Players reported that they all agreed that doubling the number of men’s World Cups every four-year period was a good idea.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino believes that holding more tournaments will increase the opportunities and excitement in most of the 211 member states, many of which do not qualify to play in the World Cup.
Expanding the World Cup from 32 teams to 48, starting with the 2026 tournament in North America, was one of the biggest early decisions of Infantino’s presidency, which began in 2016. FIFA also seeks to distribute additional World Cup revenue to improve talent development and help national teams. Close the gap on Europe globally.
European teams have won the last four World Cups and made 13 semi-finals out of 16. The other three semi-finalists from 2006–18 were from South America.
The UEFA-backed football pro-Europe group also opposed the biennial World Cup plan, claiming it would upset the balance between domestic and international football and club and national teams.
Global players’ union FIFPRO has also warned of burnout in an increasingly crowded football schedule.
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