FIFA President Gianni Infantino continues to promote the idea of shortening the World Cup cycle from four to two years – on Monday, two prominent footballers spoke out against the idea.
“I’m not a fan,” Bayern goal-scorer Robert Lewandowski said in Dubai, where the Globe Soccer Awards were held. “We already have so many games every year, so many hard weeks – not only the games themselves, but also the many weeks of preparation.”
If you want to offer the fans something special “that breaks the routine”, breaks are essential, he said. With a World Cup every two years, the level would drop, Lewandowski warned: “That is physically and mentally impossible. “
Mbappé: “I agree with Robert “
Kylian Mbappé is also critical of FIFA’s plans. The Paris St Germain attacker said the World Cup is currently “unique” but would become a “normal competition” if the rhythm is shortened.
“I agree with Robert: we already have 60 games a year and many competitions. We like to play, but if it’s too much, it’s too much.” If you want quality, you have to “give the players breaks”, Mbappé agrees.
While Infantino is likely to have many small FIFA member associations on his side, UEFA and South America’s CONMEBOL have clearly positioned themselves against the idea of staging the World Cup more frequently – and have instead forged a kind of counterplan around the Nations League.