Biennial World Cup: Infantino makes case for migrants

FIFA president Gianni Infantino seemed to establish a link on Wednesday between his plan for a World Cup every two years and the tragedy of migrants in the Mediterranean who must be “given hope”, before saying his remarks had been “misinterpreted”.

The head of world football told the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg that the sport is currently going “in a direction where a few have everything and the vast majority have nothing”.

“I understand in Europe the World Cup takes place twice per week, because the best players are playing in Europe,” said Infantino.

“But if we think about the rest of the world… which doesn’t see the best players, which doesn’t participate in the top competitions, then we have to think about what football brings, which goes beyond the sport.”

The idea of a World Cup every two years, rather than every four as it has been since 1930, has faced a hostile reception from the European and South American federations as well as the big clubs. But it enjoys the unanimous support among the 54 African federations.

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“We need to include them, we need to find ways to include the entire world, to give hope to Africans so that they don’t need to cross the Mediterranean in order to find maybe a better life, but more probably death in the sea.

“We need to give opportunities, and we need to give dignity, not by giving charity but by allowing the rest of the world as well to participate.”