"Everyone has the right to dream": the president of Fifa defends his World Cup project every two years

At the beginning of September, Arsène Wenger, the former Arsenal coach, now director of world football development within Fifa, was the first to discuss the project of a World Cup every two years.

This Friday, Gianni Infantino, the president of the international body, took advantage of a trip to South America to again defend this football revolution.

"Our duty is to ensure that football is truly global," he explained during a press conference at the Olympic stadium in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela.

“The president of Fifa is the president of 111 countries and each of them has the right to dream.

But the dream must have a possibility of coming true, because if you have to dream for eternity, you will end up doing something else, ”added the leader, in office since 2016.

Recibí la agradable visita by Giovanni Vincenzo Infantino, President of the Federación Internacional de Fútbol Asociación (FIFA) con quien conversé del impulso que vamos a dar, para llevar el fútbololano en todas sus modalidades, al level of excelencia.

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- Nicolás Maduro (@NicolasMaduro) October 16, 2021

A decision taken at the end of the year

To support his argument, Gianni Infantino cited the example of Venezuela, a country of 30 million inhabitants, which has never yet participated in a World Cup.

“Today, if we speak frankly, what are the real possibilities for Venezuela to participate?

He asked.

According to the president, the chances of selection would increase with the organization of a biennial World Cup and the increase already recorded from 2026 in the number of participants from 32 to 48.

The president assured that a decision would be taken on this subject at "the end of the year" and responded to critics who fear an overused World Cup: "The prestige of a competition does not depend on its frequency.

Otherwise we would organize a World Cup every 40 years.

(Prestige) depends on the quality of the competition ”.

Gianni Infantino also clarified that this reform could allow players to approach the World Cup on an equal footing with a reduction in travel between continents for South American players and the establishment of grouped qualifying phases.

Gianni Infantino then met Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro at the Presidential Palace in Miraflores.