More Fifa World Cups? It’s what fans and China want
- Survey says majority of football fans support Fifa’s vision of playing World Cups more often
- Proposed revamp would give Chinese more chance to qualify and host tournament sooner
Who wants a Fifa World Cup every two years? You do, football fan.
That’s what Fifa would have you believe after they went to the trouble of asking fans around the world of their plans to overhaul the international calendar.
The headline is that “the majority of fans would like to see a more frequent men’s Fifa World Cup,” they say.
According to a July survey, some 15,000 respondents were asked whether they wanted to see more World Cups or maintain the current four-year cycle – and the answer was clear.
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Those asked “identified as expressing an interest in football and the Fifa World Cup” from a larger survey of 23,000 across 23 countries, with the survey conducted by IRIS and YouGov.
Of those who wanted more, the preference was for World Cups every two years rather than annually or every three years, while younger football fans “in all regions are more open and interested in change than older generations” and “there are considerable differences between the so-called traditional markets and the developing football markets”.
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The topic of more frequent World Cups is already proving hotter than the weather in Qatar, since Arsene Wenger told L’Equipe earlier this month of his grand vision to overhaul the international calendar.
Fifa’s chief of global football development has the backing of many former footballers – such as Peter Schmeichel, Didier Drogba, Javier Mascherano and Roberto Carlos – who also happen to be part of the governing body’s PR machine.
Plenty of stakeholders have complained of too much football rather than not enough, with the effects of Covid-19 on the calendar still uncertain.
Europe’s major leagues have said no while European and South American football authorities have expressed their concern. Uefa reportedly demanded a meeting with Fifa over the topic, after a meeting of its 55 members, and already threatened a boycott.
Already it seems that their opposition can only go so far.
Even threats to pull out of the World Cup seem just that. Would they really not go? If they did would it stop the inevitable march of progress?
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Progress has been rapid under Infantino. The World Cup has already expanded to 48 teams under him, starting with the US-Mexico-Canada tournament of 2026.
Wenger has said that Fifa may make a decision as soon as December, though it would need to be approved by a vote of its 211 members next year. It should be noted that 166 nations agreed to the feasibility study when Saudi Arabia mooted the idea in May.
Uefa and Conmebol opposition is not necessarily an obstacle – they collectively count for 65 of the 211 votes, while those in Asia and Africa number much larger.
Those also happen to be markets where Infantino has made a lot of friends in his time at Fifa.
There are going to be questions, not least with the logistics of further international tournaments on a schedule that already shows few spare weeks. The former Arsenal manager suggests that his overall aim is more rest for players and a clearer schedule, with more important matches.
Wenger has also suggested that the World Cup would move to odd numbered years to not clash with the Olympic Games but that means a clash with the women’s World Cup.
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Something will also need to give with Infantino’s other major overhaul – the expanded 24-team Fifa Club World Cup, which he had handed to China for this year until Covid intervened.
What happens to that is a questions for another time, not least if the end result is China gets to play at a second World Cup. “Today’s calendar is outdated,” Wenger said. “The current four-year cycle was established in 1930, yet 133 countries have never been at the World Cup.”
China have been just once and they won’t be going to Qatar 2022.
They are bottom of their group after two games and six points off the pace ahead of facing Vietnam and joint-leaders Saudi Arabia next.
This proposal – on the back of the expansion to 48 teams – surely gives them a chance of a first World Cup since their debut at the 2002 tournament in Japan and South Korea.
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Plenty of Chinese companies will be present in Qatar next year as some of Fifa’s most important sponsors – a cash cow that would be fattened should China actually make another World Cup, or even better, host one.
More World Cups means that China, Morocco and the other countries who want to host can do so sooner. It also means more cash for Fifa – and there is little doubt that Infantino sees cash in China.
“There is no financial intention behind this,” Wenger told the press of his plans, but the bean counters at Fifa could still be rubbing their hands with glee.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp disagreed with Wenger’s statement when asked.
“There aren’t many more relentlessly demanding sports as football. We all know why it’s happening – whatever people say about giving countries more opportunity in World Cup, in the end it’s all about money.”
That’s football. European clubs are already in the pocket of Asian owners and sponsors, while recent attempts by such clubs to overhaul competition with the likes of the European Super League and Project Big Picture were aimed at fans in Asian and other overseas markets.
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Why would Fifa be any different?
The big difference is that they are in a position to change the game. Good job it’s what we fans want.
