FIFA World Cup News: FIFA is reportedly holding preliminary talks to hold the World Cup every two years. But a lot of stars, including Kylian Mbappe and Robert Lewandowski, have spoken against it.
FIFA had recently proposed to hold the iconic World Cup competition every two years. Currently, the marquee event takes place once every four years.
The reason for this decision being considered is the increase in revenue. As per FIFA, if the world is played in biennial years, the football body could generate an extra $3 billion.
As of now, the biennial FIFA World Cup plan is just a proposal. But this decision of FIFA has been met by a heavy backlash. Supporters, players, and even a few club officials have taken a stand against this decision.
What did Kylian Mbappe and Robert Lewandowski say?
As per AS, both Robert Lewandowski and Kylian Mbappe spoke about FIFA’s decision. And both the Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain strikers talked against it at the Golden Globe Awards 2021.
Robert Lewandowski talked about the issue and made it clear that he was against it. The Polish striker said, “We have to look into the future. If we want to play a World Cup every two years, the level will drop.”
The Bayern Munich player added that it would be impossible to perform at the highest level for such a long time. And this would just welcome fatigue and injuries. Lewandowski concluded by saying that if FIFA wants to give something different, they should consider giving a break instead.
Kylian Mbappe also echoed Lewandowski’s words. The Frenchman said, “The World Cup is a special competition. Some players only get to play it only once in their life. Hence, it is important to keep it at that elite level.”
The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner added that the competition would become ‘Normal’ if it was played every two years. Kylian Mbappe concluded by saying. “If people want to see the quality, we have to take a break.”
Why is the decision controversial?
The decision that FIFA has taken in regards to the World Cup is highly controversial. It can be seen that the decision is only from a financial standpoint and not considering the situation of the players.
Most players around the world play more than 50 competitive matches in a season. Hence, they must get a chance to relax. A World Cup every two years would just make things more difficult.
Another major problem would be organizing other major international competitions. UEFA Euros, CONMEBOL Copa America, AFC Asian Cup, etc. are other major international tournaments played every 4 years. If the World Cup is held every 2 years, it could disrupt the whole club and international calendar going forth.
