Professional soccer players are widely opposed to the project of organizing the World Cup every 2 years promoted by FIFA, with 75% of players in favor of maintaining the current 4-year format, according to a survey carried out by Fifpro, the world players union.
Fifpro interviewed more than 1,000 male professional footballers from around the world about their desire to change the international calendar, which FIFA intends to reform. According to the unionโs study, 77% of European and Asian players prefer a World Cup every 4 years, as do 63% of players from the American continent.
The questioning is even more important among African players, only 49% want to keep the current format, the rest are divided between the proposals of a World Cup every 2 or 3 years. โThere is a demand in small and medium-sized markets to develop and strengthen international competitionsโ, said Fifpro, which wants to โencourage investment in regional competitionsโ.
Asked about their favorite competition, 81% of players around the world opt for their national championship or the World Cup โin their current four-year cycleโ. โOnly 21% of players believe that their voice is respected and that their welfare is sufficiently considered by the governance of international footballโ, the unionโs general secretary, Jonas Baer-Hoffmann, was quoted as saying in the statement.
Defended by the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, the hypothesis of a biennial competition, and not four years, is fought by a front that goes from the European and South American federations to the big clubs. However, it has the support of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).