EUROPEAN football's governing body, UEFA, said yesterday it has urged football's world governing body, FIFA, to stop pushing its controversial proposal to hold the World Cup every two years instead of four and engage in ‘genuine consultation’ over reform of the international match calendar.
FIFA, who is conducting a feasibility study into holding the World Cup on a biennial basis − a change from the current four-yearly cycle − has invited the sport's domestic bodies to an online summit on September 30 to discuss a potential biennial World Cup.
UEFA said there were numerous concerns about the impact of such a switch including the ‘dilution’ of the World Cup's value, risks of players being over-worked and women's football suffering from annual men's tournaments.
It added that the ‘real dangers’ associated with holding the World Cup every two years also included, ‘the erosion of sporting opportunities for the weaker national teams’.
It also hit out at the way FIFA has promoted its plans, largely through media interviews and press conferences.
‘UEFA is disappointed with the methodology adopted, which has so far led to radical reform projects being communicated and openly promoted before having been given, together with other stakeholders, the chance to participate in any consultation meeting,’ read the UEFA statement.
‘These are just some of the serious concerns that the FIFA proposal provokes at first glance, and they cannot be dispelled simply with unsubstantiated promotional slogans on the supposed benefits of a thicker calendar for final tournaments,’ the statement added.
Earlier this month, UEFA president, Aleksander Ceferin, said football's showpiece tournament would lose "legitimacy" if not held only once every four years.
Aleksander warned of a potential European boycott of the World Cup if FIFA's plans went ahead.
"We can decide not to play in it," European football’s governing body head told The Times newspaper.
"As far as I know, the South Americans are on the same page. So good luck with a World Cup like that.
"I think it will never happen as it is so much against the basic principles of football."
The World Cup has been held every four years − besides cancellations due to World War II − since the inaugural edition in 1930.
The push to increase the number of World Cups has been led by former Arsenal manager, and now, FIFA development director, Arsene Wenger.
"On September 14, UEFA and its 55 member associations asked FIFA to organise a special meeting with them to be able to voice their concerns on the impact of such plans," UEFA added on yesterday.
"UEFA and its 55 member associations have to-date not yet received a reply from FIFA on this request."
FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, has promised a decision on the matter by the end of 2021.
Earlier this year, UEFA announced a revamped and expanded version of its own international Nations League tournament. – Agencies, September 23, 2021
