Fifa’s two-year World Cup plan given the thumbs-down by global players’ survey
- Football’s governing body Fifa wants to shake-up the international calendar and hold the World Cup every two years
- When asked to pick their preferred competition 81% of players want to keep the World Cup in its current four-year cycle
Footballers around the world have given a resounding red card to Fifa’s proposal to hold the World Cup every two years, according to a survey by players’ global union Fifpro.
The findings, released on Tuesday, showed 75% of more than 1,000 male players questioned over the global governing body’s plans to shake-up the international calendar were in favour of retaining the tournament’s current four-year cycle.
In Europe and Asia 77% of players supported maintaining the status quo, against 63% from the Americas. In Africa the figure dropped to 49%, with the remainder split between holding the competition every two or three years.
“While a clear majority of players support the current frequency of the World Cup, a demand exists, particularly in smaller and medium-sized markets, to further develop and strengthen national team competitions,” Fifpro said.
When asked to pick their preferred competition 81% singled out their domestic league or the World Cup “in its current four-year cycle”.