FIFA wants to debate the controversial plan for staging the World Cup every two years with its member associations in a week and a half.
A so-called online summit on the international match calendar is to be held on 30 September, the world governing body announced on Monday. “This is one of several opportunities to engage in a constructive and open debate at global and regional level over the coming months, which FIFA looks forward to with confidence,” it said.
FIFA’s plans to possibly hold the World Cup every two years in the future have drawn a lot of criticism, especially in Europe. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin threatened a boycott and demanded a meeting with FIFA boss Gianni Infantino.
“So-called legends” in front of council members
The German Football Association (DFB) sided with the European Football Union and stressed that such a decision “must not be taken without the consent of the European associations and European football”. It was “incomprehensible” that “so-called FIFA legends” had been consulted first and not its own council members, it said in a statement published by the association on Friday after its executive committee meeting.
FIFA’s Technical Advisory Group, led by director Arsène Wenger, had proposed hosting the World Cup every two years. “As this is a football project where the global interests of football must come first, this process began with players and coaches from around the world,” FIFA said. The men’s and women’s international match calendars expire at the end of 2023 and 2024 respectively.
