Biennial World Cup would ‘cannibalize’ women’s football

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin reiterated his opposition to FIFA’s plan to hold a biennial World Cup, saying the women’s tournament or the Olympics would be affected if they were held in the same year as the phase final.

European football’s governing body and its South American counterpart, CONMEBOL, have strongly opposed the idea that FIFA President Gianni Infantino said would generate an additional $ 4.4 billion in revenue for the football team. world football organization.

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“Europe and South America are against [the plan] and these are the only ones [continents with] World Cup winners in history. The problem is, the World Cup has to take place every four years to be interesting, ”Ceferin said at the Expo 2020 Dubai fair.

“Second, if it was every two years it would cannibalize women’s football because it would be the same year as women’s football [World Cup], other sports, the Olympics – a lot of mistakes.

“It’s just a bad idea and it won’t happen because it’s a bad idea, not because we oppose it. « 

FIFA’s plans have sparked concern from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as attendees at a summit earlier this month voiced « serious concerns » about the proposals and their impact on the global sporting calendar.

“Why the Olympic Games every four years? Because it is an event that must be anticipated [to], that we must wait [for], and you have to take advantage of it, ”added Ceferin.

“And it’s the biggest football event – it has to be every four years. But it’s very clear – 75% of fans worldwide reject the idea [of a biennial World Cup]. « 

Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe and Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski have also said they are not in favor of FIFA’s plan to host the World Cup every two years.

“I am not a fan. We already have so many games to play every year, so many difficult weeks, not just games because we have a lot of weeks of preparation whether it’s for the season or for the big tournaments, ”said Lewandowski.

“If we have a World Cup every two years, the period during which footballers can play at a high level will decrease.

“It’s physically and psychologically impossible. If you want to last in football, you need periods of rest. «