On Thursday, FIFA stepped up efforts to host the Men’s World Cup biennially by soliciting support from football fans around the world to help counter resistance from Europe. and South America.
The latest public relations tactic comes in the form of an online survey commissioned by FIFA.
The Associated Press does not consistently report opinion polls on the internet. The FIFA statement did not provide data, details on the survey methodology or the questions asked, but stated that its findings showed
“considerable differences between the so-called traditional markets and the developing football markets.”
European football body, UEFA and their South American counterpart, CONMEBOL, opposed FIFA’s plans and threatened to boycott other World Cups.
Europe and South America comprise 65 out of FIFA’s 211 members – less than a third of the total capacity needed to block any proposal.
The governing bodies of the six continental football federations each organize their own championships, with Europe hosting its tournament every four years between World Cups. Adding a World Cup every four years will likely reduce the revenue of the European event.
The women already have two major world tournaments in every four-year cycle, the top teams and best players compete at the Olympics and the Women’s World Cup.
FIFA’s latest survey comes a week after welcoming around 80 former international players, including several World Cup champions, to a two-day meeting in Qatar; the host country of the 2022 World Cup. The players said they all agreed it was a good idea to increase the number of Men’s World Cups in every four-year period.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino believes that hosting more tournaments will increase opportunities and excitement in most of the 211 member countries, many of which never qualified for the World Cup.
Increasing the World Cup participation from 32 to 48 teams starting with the 2026 tournament in North America was one of the most important initial decisions of Infantino’s presidency, which began in 2016.
FIFA also wants to distribute more revenue from the World Cup to enhance talent development and help national teams close the gap with Europe.
European teams have won the last four World Cups and accounted for 13/16 semi-finals. The other three semifinalists from 2006-18 were from South America.
The UEFA-backed group of European football supporters has also opposed the plan to hold the World Cup every two years, saying it would distort the balance between national and international football, as well as between clubs and national teams.
The global players’ union FIFPRO has also warned of exhaustion in the increasingly crowded football schedule.
