UEFA is absolutely not in favor of a World Cup every two years. Aleksander Ceferin – president of the European Football Association – says on Thursday that it is an option for European countries not to participate in that case. The president of UEFA says that the South American countries also see nothing in FIFA’s plan to play a World Cup more often.
Last week in Qatar, Arsene Wenger spoke as FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development with Marco van Basten, David Trezeguet, Jürgen Klingsmann, Lothar Matthäus and Brazil’s Ronaldo about a World Cup to be played every two years in the future. Both Wenger and FIFA president Gianni Infantino believe that too many uninteresting matches are played due to the one and a half year qualifying cycle. A World Cup every two years would therefore be more attractive for television viewers and thus the media partners.
The plan immediately encountered resistance from the football world, including the European Club Association (ECA), the English national coach Gareth Southgate and the UEFA through Ceferin. The Slovenian president of the European Football Association already noted on Monday that a World Cup every two years would devalue the tournament. “More is not always better. The international football calendar does not need it and most players can use summers without a big final tournament. Moreover, a World Cup every two years would devalue the value of the tournament.”
Ceferin will talk to there on Thursday The Times a little more on top. “We can decide not to play in it”, Ceferin flirts cautiously with a boycott. “As far as I know, the South Americans are on the same page. So good luck with such a World Cup. I don’t think it will ever happen because it goes against the basic principles of football. Playing a month-long tournament every summer is a killer for the players. If it’s every two years, it clashes with the Women’s World Cup, with the Olympic football tournament.”
“The value is right because it’s every four years, you wait for it, it’s like the Olympics, it’s a huge event. I don’t see our federations supporting that,” the UEFA president continues. The FIFA Congress voted in favor of a so-called feasibility study into the plan, which is currently being carried out by Wenger. “I hope they (FIFA) will come to their senses because I don’t see the right approach to go anywhere, except the confederations, not to talk to us. They didn’t come, they didn’t call, I didn’t get a letter or anything. I just read it in the media.”