Voting on soccer World Cup every two years is postponed

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A soccer World Cup every two years: That is the plan of Fifa boss Gianni Infantino

Photo: Sebastian Gollnow / dpa

The decision about a new cycle of soccer world championships will drag on until next year.

Although the world association Fifa scheduled an extraordinary summit of the 211 member associations on Wednesday for December 20th, the vote on a World Cup every two years will not take place there.

This was confirmed by the German Football Association of the dpa news agency.

The »Bild« had previously reported on it.

The DFB was "satisfied" with the decision not to hold a congress and thus a vote.

Instead, the Fifa Council decided on Wednesday that only a global summit with deliberations on reforming the international game calendar should take place on December 20.

"The decision was unanimous at the suggestion of the president, so a vote in December is no longer necessary and there was no controversy in the Fifa Council in this regard," the DFB announced on Thursday when asked by the dpa.

"That is why we continue to rely on a mutually agreed solution developed by FIFA and Uefa for all questions relating to the future, globally uniform game calendar."

Fifa is pushing the idea of ​​a World Cup every two years, which is sometimes massively criticized by associations.

In talks with association representatives from Europe, FIFA President Gianni Infantino had received clear resistance to the plans of the world association.

For example, the associations of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands had made their position against a World Cup every two years clear in a joint statement.

In addition to the European Football Union, the Continental Association of South America also rejects the plans.

(Read more about the dispute between FIFA and Uefa here)

According to dpa information, more than a dozen European associations are apparently considering leaving the world association as the last option.

The AP news agency reported about it first.

Will the decision be made in Qatar?

After the meeting of the Fifa Council, Infantino nevertheless formulated his wish for a way out of the deadlocked situation.

“Everything is open to me.

Maybe we'll take a step forward and one step back, ”he said in Zurich.

“There are confederations that want a World Cup every two years.

We triggered violent reactions and heard a lot of negative, but also positive and enthusiastic statements. "

A possible decision could, instead of before the end of the year, as was hoped by Infantino, be made on March 31 at the congress in the World Cup country Qatar.

As a possible compromise, a worldwide Nations League, modeled on the European version, is still up for debate.

Instead of a World Cup, it could be put back on the agenda every two years.

A Fifa technical advisory group headed by Director Arsène Wenger had proposed hosting the World Cup every two years, and the rhythm of continental tournaments such as the European Championship would be shortened.

As a result, the changes should finally take effect after the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico with 48 nations for the first time.

The confederations' tournaments would then be held in 2027.

In the previously planned EM year 2028, the next World Cup would then be due again.

ngo / dpa / AP / sid