FIFA Plans to Hold World Cup Every Three Years

The World Cup has just concluded, yet football authorities are already contemplating a revolution. According to the Daily Mail, FIFA President Gianni Infantino is so impressed with the tournament held in Qatar that he is willing to change the frequency of the main global event.

“The commercial and sporting successes of the World Cup have inspired confidence in Infantino,” the newspaper reports.

According to the publication, Infantino is convinced that hosting the tournament during Europe’s winter period changed the game and proved that football has the potential for growth and globalization.

Last week, the FIFA president announced several key decisions. Infantino stated that a new format for the World Club Cup, involving 32 teams, will kick off in 2025. Additionally, the head of the organization mentioned that the format for the next World Cup could be revised, possibly dividing the 48 teams into 12 groups of four rather than 16 groups of three.

Nevertheless, Infantino has not publicly raised the issue of reducing the gap between major tournaments recently. It is no secret that he has promoted the idea of hosting the World Cup every two years, but UEFA and the South American CONMEBOL confederation are opposed to this initiative and have even threatened to boycott it.

The Daily Mail emphasizes that Infantino is not backing down. He now aims to hold the World Cup every three years, but if changes are to take effect, they will not happen before 2030. The Swiss is determined to serve until 2031 and realize his vision.

The reasons behind FIFA's desire to reduce the time between tournaments are evident: no tournament can match the profitability of the World Cup, and the organization made quite a significant profit in Qatar. FIFA earned $10.5 billion in the last World Cup, $1 billion more than four years ago, according to the football federation's president himself.

It is known that Infantino’s idea has supporters, as representatives from African and Asian confederations have backed FIFA. However, to transition to a three-year cycle, global football authorities need the approval of all confederations. The proposal is expected to be discussed at one of FIFA's upcoming congresses.