The advent of a World Cup every two years would create a $3.5bn (€3.1bn) “solidarity scheme” to support football in less developed countries, the Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, has said as he revived plans for the controversial scheme.
“It’s the reverse of the Super League,” he said. “It’s about opportunity for all. That is the fundamental principle of this project.”
Infantino presented a feasibility study into a biennial men’s World Cup to international federations on Monday and included in the information was research conducted by the consultancy Nielsen that claimed the switch would create “a combined additional $4.4bn (€3.9bn) in revenue from the first four-year cycle”, a 62 per cent increase from current levels.
Infantino said the growth in revenue would enable the creation of a new fund, which wouldsupport individual associations and allow for a development scheme for players and coaches. That scheme would be implemented by the former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, who said it had been devised to “give everyone the chance to play top-quality football who wants it”.
In October, Infantino had apparently stepped back from a biennial World Cup after it was vehemently opposed by Uefa and the South American federation, Conmebol, and many other critical voices. Infantino said at the time the plans could only go ahead if they “bring everyone together”.
Since then, Uefa and Conmebol have announced closer ties between the organisations including a shared ‘Nations League’ with South American national sides competing in Europe.
Separate studies conducted by Uefa and the World Leagues Forum have claimed a World Cup every two years would have substantial financial impacts on regional associations and on club competitions. On Monday, Infantino said it would create opportunities for financial redistribution, but the precise details would only be confirmed if the plans were voted through.
The fund, he said, “will obviously have to be invested in accordance with different criteria to ensure that money is invested in the right places. We need first to go through and take a decision to go ahead.”
Infantino denied a doubling of World Cups would lead to any loss of prestige for the tournament saying, “the cake only becomes bigger”. The changes would mean moving the Africa Cup of Nations to the autumn and European Championships to odd years, but it would also mean a men’s international tournament being played in the same summer as the women’s World Cup.
Fifa’s lead on the development on the women’s game, Jill Ellis, said a biennial women’s World Cup was still planned, alongside a global club tournament.
Infantino said the full feasibility studies would be published in the coming days but he would not commit to putting the plans to a vote at next month’s Fifa Congress in Qatar in March. “It will take the time it takes to come to this good decision,” he said. – Guardian
