IOC affirms FIFA and its president “are well aware” of the position of the Olympic Movement on the alleged negative impact of a World Cup every two years

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach conveyed concern to FIFA President Gianni Infantino about plans for a World Cup every two years.

An IOC spokesman told Around The Rings “FIFA and its president are very aware of the position of the Olympic Movement.”

Bach and Infantino met last Wednesday in Doha, Qatar, during the official opening of the Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, one of the largest of its kind in the world.

A day later, during his speech at the 72nd FIFA Congress, prior to the draw for the World Cup next November, Infantino clarified aspects of the controversial initiative that found a strong rejection in the leadership of the powerful European and South American confederations, in addition to the IOC and international federations.

Technically speaking, in his speech Infantino did not definitively state the biennial World Cup was out of the question, but his language was no longer as festive as weeks and months ago. He only admitted that now was the time to “find agreements and compromises.”

Congress was originally expected to vote to promote the possibility of this “blueprint” after Infantino defended the proposal at a virtual world summit last December, which did not happen.

“Let me be very clear,” Infantino said. “FIFA has not proposed a biennial World Cup. Let’s make the process clear. The last FIFA Congress asked the FIFA administration with one vote, and 88 percent voted in favor, to study the feasibility of a World Cup every two years and some other projects.”

“Now the FIFA administration, under the leadership of Arsene Wenger, did exactly that: they studied the feasibility. FIFA did not propose anything.”

“FIFA came to the conclusion it is feasible, that it would have some repercussions and impacts, but once this is certified, the next phase begins and it is a phase of consultation, discussion, trying to find agreements and compromise. In addition to the confederations and associations, we have the leagues, the clubs and the players present here as well.

“We work together, we try and we will try to have a debate and a discussion to find what is most suitable for everyone because everyone has to benefit. The big ones have to get bigger and the little ones also have to benefit. We have to give opportunities to everyone And I am thanking everyone for their contribution, for their comments, positive, negative or neutral.

“The important thing in this discussion is that we put national team football back on the agenda, which is what makes football live all over the world.

“We have to do this in balance with the clubs, of course, which is most of where the players play. There are ways to find compromises and agreements”

Last February, IOC members also sounded the alarm, warning that a FIFA World Cup every two years instead of four would have a strong negative impact on other sports. Infantino was absent in Beijing.

The IOC and the international federations opposed those plans.

A biennial World Cup would clash with the Summer Olympics and at the same time affect the marketing of the Games. That tournament would dwarf all other competitions.

After criticism from several IOC members, Bach stopped what seemed like a snowball downhill by recalling Infantino’s absence from the auditorium as he canceled his trip to Beijing.

“We should not now discuss this issue on a larger scale in his absence out of respect for our colleague and IOC member. If they agree, we will try to contact him and forward these comments that have been made to him,” Bach promised.

Infantino will surely reappear at the 139th Session of the IOC scheduled for next May where attention will be focused on the response of the International Olympic Movement to the violation of the Olympic Truce by Russia and solidarity with the sports community and the people of Ukraine.

By then, let’s hope the war is over.