FIFA’s new plan to hold its flagship for the Men’s World Cup from a quadrennial schedule to a biennial causing concerns and reservations among all the other sports communities and federations.
- A formal date for a decision on its World Cup proposal is yet to decide, though a probable date could be on this December at the meeting of its 211 national members. The decision would be made by voting of the association’s members.
- President Gianni Infantino, also an IOC member, is traveling the world to rally support for the plan, with having former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger in the front.
- Right after FIFA announced its new b biennial plan of Men’s soccer, they have met with fierce criticism from continental and national federations, players’ groups as well as fans.
- The International Olympic Committee doesn’t think likewise. IOC is wanting to have more discussions over this controversial plan the world football body FIFA has made. The IOC has its “concerns” about FIFA’s push for soccer World Cups every two years instead of every four.
- “Several international federations of other sports, national football federations, clubs, players, player associations, and coaches have expressed strong reservations and concerns regarding the plans to generate more revenue for FIFA,” the IOC’s EB said in a statement.
- The statement shows, these concerns are related to the impact a World Cup every two years could have on other sports, players’ welfare, and gender equality.
- UEFA has threatened to boycott an additional World Cup, while South American body CONMEBOL is also opposed to the plans. European and South American clubs, leagues, and confederations are confident they can stop the plan, regardless of the outcome of a vote, raising the prospect of a damaging split in the international game.
- The IOC cited, ‘tennis, cycling, golf, gymnastics, swimming, athletics, Formula One, and many others as sports which would be affected by more World Cups. This would undermine the diversity and development of sports other than football’.
Those regions’ governing bodies, UEFA and CONMEBOL, have warned of a World Cup boycott if FIFA pushes ahead with a plan that would undermine their continental championships, which are organized on the same four-year cycle as the IOC’s Summer Games. All are next due in 2024.
