FIFA Vice President proposes possible alternatives to biennial World Cup idea

FIFA President Gianni Infantino supports idea of holding World Cup every two years, but the idea has been met with strong opposition from many organizations

Guardar
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - World Cup - Final - France v Croatia - Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Russia - July 15, 2018  France's Hugo Lloris lifts the trophy as they celebrate winning the World Cup  REUTERS/Dylan Martinez/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - World Cup - Final - France v Croatia - Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Russia - July 15, 2018 France's Hugo Lloris lifts the trophy as they celebrate winning the World Cup REUTERS/Dylan Martinez/File Photo

FIFA Vice-President Victor Montagliani has spoken out against potential plans of a biennial FIFA World Cup, and has raised the possibility of an alternate tournament to fill the gap.

Arsène Wenger, the former Arsenal manager and current FIFA Chief of Global Football Development, has proposed playing the World Cup every two years, instead of every four years. That proposal, supported by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, has been met by strong resistance from several football leagues, confederations and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The IOC has previously expressed concern over the impact of a biennial World Cup on other sports, and the lack of athlete representation regarding the proposal.

The Canadian Montagliani is the president of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), and told Reuters he believes a compromise can be reached.

Nov 12, 2021; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; United States forward Tim Weah (20) heads the ball over Mexico midfielder Hector Herrera (16) during a FIFA World Cup Qualifier soccer match at TQL Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 12, 2021; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; United States forward Tim Weah (20) heads the ball over Mexico midfielder Hector Herrera (16) during a FIFA World Cup Qualifier soccer match at TQL Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

“The principle of having in event in between World Cups is something I’m totally for,” Montagliani told Reuters. “We used to have something in between the World Cups, which was the old Confederations Cup. It wasn’t a tournament everyone was turned on to but some confederations it was a nice link between your regional competition and in international competition and we lost that.”

“Four or five years ago we had discussions over a Global Nations League so these discussions are not foreign to the table. Whether it’s a Global Nations League or a Confederations Cup, these are events that occur in between the current World Cup cycles,” said Montagliani.

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and the South American Football Confederation have threatened to boycott a biennial World Cup.

The Confederations Cup, which involved the six continental champions, the World Cup champion and the host nation was discontinued after the 2017 edition.

FIFA is planning to hold a global summit of all national associations to discuss their plans on December 20. The agreement for the current calendar of international tournaments ends in 2024.

KEEP READING

Guardar

Últimas Noticias

Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came to succeed the three phenomenons

Beyond the final result, Roland Garros left the feeling that the Italian and the Spaniard will shape the great duel that came to help us through the duel for the end of the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic era.
Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came to succeed the three phenomenons

Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre will be Olympic and Paralympic in Paris 2024

She is the third in her sport and the seventh athlete to achieve it in the same edition; in Santiago 2023 she was the first athlete with disabilities to compete at the Pan American level and won a medal.
Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre will be Olympic and Paralympic in Paris 2024

Rugby 7s: the best player of 2023 would only play the medal match in Paris

Argentinian Rodrigo Isgró received a five-game suspension for an indiscipline in the circuit’s decisive clash that would exclude him until the final or the bronze match; the Federation will seek to make the appeal successful.
Rugby 7s: the best player of 2023 would only play the medal match in Paris

Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the world record for the 10000 meters on the road, was suspended for six years

The Kenyan received the maximum sanction for irregularities in his biological passport and the Court considered that he was part of a system of “deliberate and sophisticated doping” to improve his performance. He will lose his record and the bronze medal at the Doha World Cup.
Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the world record for the 10000 meters on the road, was suspended for six years

Katie Ledecky spoke about doping Chinese swimmers: “It’s difficult to go to Paris knowing that we’re going to compete with some of these athletes”

The American, a seven-time Olympic champion, referred to the case of the 23 positive controls before the Tokyo Games that were announced a few weeks ago and shook the swimming world. “I think our faith in some of the systems is at an all-time low,” he said.
Katie Ledecky spoke about doping Chinese swimmers: “It’s difficult to go to Paris knowing that we’re going to compete with some of these athletes”