After the national championships, place to the first interested parties. Professional footballers are widely opposed to the biennial World Cup project carried by FIFA, with 75% of them in favor of maintaining the World Cup every four years, according to a poll carried out by Fifpro, the world players’ union, published Tuesday.
Fifpro has asked more than 1,000 professional male footballers around the world about their wishes for the future of international calendars, which Fifa would like to reform in order to organize the World Cup every two years. According to the union’s study, 77% of European and Asian players prefer a World Cup every four years, compared to 63% for players from the American continent.
⚽ Three in every four professional men’s footballers want to keep the FIFA World Cup every four years, according to a survey of 1,000 players from six continents and over 70 different nationalities.
— FIFPRO (@FIFPRO) February 15, 2022
The questioning is more important among African players, who are only 49% to wish to keep the current format, the others being divided between the proposals of World Cup every two years and every three years.
“There is a demand in small and medium-sized markets to develop and strengthen international competitions“, remarks Fifpro, which wishes “encourage investment in regional competitions“.
Asked about their favorite competition, players around the world choose 81% for their national championship or the World Cup “in its current quadrennial cycle“.
“Only 21% of players believe their voice is respected and their well-being is given sufficient consideration by international football governance“, says union general secretary Jonas Baer-Hoffmann, quoted in the Fifpro press release.
Defended by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, the hypothesis of a biennial competition, and no longer quadrennial, is fought by a front ranging from European and South American federations to the big clubs. But it enjoys the support of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).