Saudi Arabia wants a world championship every 2 years

If it were up to Saudi Arabia, fans would see the World Cup twice as often.

According to The Associated Press, the Saudi Arabian Football Association officially asked FIFA on Tuesday to hold the Men’s and Women’s World Cup every two years instead of every four years.

The association calls for “a feasibility study to be carried out on the effects” if both tournaments are played every two years. This question will be asked at the FIFA annual meeting with all 211 member associations, which will be held remotely on Friday.

Is it possible to have a world championship every two years?

This idea is nothing new in football.

A biennial World Cup was first proposed in 1999 by former FIFA President Sepp Blatter. In 2018 it was proposed again by FIFA Vice-President Alejandro Dominquez.

Although no proposal has been successful so far, FIFA has repeatedly changed the World Cup in recent years. The 2022 tournament will take place in Qatar in November and December. This is largely due to the heat that the region faces each summer. The 2026 World Cup, which will be held jointly in the USA, Canada and Mexico, has been expanded to include a further 16 teams to a total of 48.

The next Women’s World Cup will take place in Australia and New Zealand in 2023.

Playing the event more often would make a lot of money. According to The Associated Press, FIFA makes up to $ 6 billion for each World Cup and is likely to top that figure during the 2026 tournament. From a financial point of view, it would be difficult to play twice as many world championships.

However, logistically it would be quite difficult.

The World Cup almost always plays in contrast to the Olympic Games, which already offers fans a tournament of a similar style every two years. Other regional championships are already underway, such as the Copa America, the European Championship and even the new Club World Championship every winter.

These competitions, along with club seasons and more, would be too numerous for players to safely participate if the World Cup were held every two years.

The story goes on

In any case, such a change would likely not take place for another decade or so. FIFA is still deciding who will host the tournament in 2030. If it chooses to hold the event every two years, it will almost certainly not take place until after that tournament at the earliest.

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