The World Cup has been a fixture of global soccer since its inception in 1930. Initially focused on men’s soccer, a competition open to women’s teams debuted several decades later, with each tournament taking place every four years. The next men’s tournament is set for 2022 in Qatar; the next women’s tournament will occur in 2023 in Australia and New Zealand. But an ambitious new plan before FIFA, international soccer’s governing body, might result in a very different schedule for both tournaments.
In May, the Saudi Arabia Football Federation proposed shifting both World Cups to a biennial schedule. (Saudi Arabia is also seeking to host the 2030 World Cup.) FIFA is currently looking into their proposal, but some big names in the soccer world have come out in favor of it — including former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. The Athletic reports that Wenger stated his support for the plan in a recent interview.
“Think of it this way: 2026 the World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada; 2027 a European Championship and the other continental tournaments; 2028 another World Cup; and so on,” Wenger said in an interview with Kicker.
Wenger’s support for the proposal also includes other changes to the international calendar — including a break in domestic leagues for the entirety of October so that national teams could carry out the process of qualifying for the tournament. His description of the changes was succinct: “More knockout matches, fewer qualifying games.”
And while Wenger has referred to this formula as “what the fans want,” it’s unclear if that’s actually the case. The last two men’s World Cups have brought up moral and ethical dilemmas, with the Qatar edition of the tournament offering even more.
Would holding the World Cup every two years dilute what makes the tournament so special — or would it allow a greater number of players and national teams to shine? It would certainly make television rights holders happy — but it remains to be seen if this will redefine the international sport for the better or face a Super League-sized backlash.
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