It’s a classic battle in sports. On one side are the people and fans , and on the other is the business and money of it all. That is certainly the case for FIFA as of late. The soccer federations at the FIFA Congress have voted to look into the possibility of holding the World Cup every two years. Currently, the World Cup is held every four years.
Each side has made its case, and both have had interesting points of view.
Those opposed to more World Cup competitions point to the exclusivity around the rare occurrence of the games. They say the long four-year wait is part of what makes it so special. Avid soccer fans will mark the World Cup as a significant time in their lives. Additionally, they point to the competitive edge of the event. With so much time in between the World Cup, most teams will miss out on qualifying. That alone adds to the fever and fanaticism for the teams that do.
On the other side of the debate are the clubs, and the main reason for their support of this decision is money. The World Cup is currently FIFA’s leading source of revenue. In 2018, FIFA reportedly took in 4.6 billion dollars from the World Cup finals. The logic, of course, is that more games would equal more money.
The next World Cup is scheduled to take place in late 2022. And, in 2026, the World Cup is set to grow to 48 teams.
But before everyone goes to their corners to battle it out, it’s important to note that this vote is just to look into the matter further. The vote passed with 166 in favor and 22 against.
