Arsene Wenger wants to convince UEFA to fix the World Cup

FIFA chief developer Arsene Wenger wants to convince European football powers to take world championships every two years instead of the previous four.

“If you want to improve the quality of games around the world, think about it. Because in addition to the 55 countries in UEFA, there are 156 other countries,” the long-time Arsenal coach told Kicker.

As the head of global football development for FIFA, the 71-year-old must study the feasibility of more World Cup tournaments.

“Meanwhile, 211 countries belong to FIFA – and 133 of them have not participated in the World Cup finals. These countries observe every four years without any chance of participating themselves,” Wenger justified the idea.

The four-year cycle of the world championships does not have to be “set in stone”. Wenger assured him that he did not want to quarrel with the European Football Association, which alternates with the World Cup tournaments every four years.

Therefore, he also wants to change the periods of absence for international matches. According to Wenger’s suggestion, instead of as many times a year as before, clubs should only send their professionals to the national teams once or twice for a longer period of time.

The national teams can meet for a month in October and play all the qualifying matches for the next tournament in one fell swoop.

“This means less travel for players overall, brings more clarity and continuity for everyone involved, and less risk of injury,” Wenger said. They want to reduce the number of matches and ensure a break after each tournament.

Think of it this way: the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada; 2027 European Championship and other continental championships; Another world championship in 2028; And so forth,” explained the French.