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IOC delegates slam FIFA’s biennial World Cup plan

“The plan would create immeasurable damage and would put sport in danger and, in particular, football,” said Berraf. “It would simply push away other sports…”

• February 3, 2022
FIFA WORLD CUP
FIFA World Cup trophy used to illustrate the story [Photo credit: ESPN]

Members of the International Olympics Committee have strongly kicked against FIFA’s plan to host the World Cup every two years, claiming it would cause “immeasurable damage” to world sport.

Speaking at the 139th IOC Congress presently holding in Beijing, three delegates attacked Infantino’s idea before IOC president Thomas Bach cut in to stop anyone else from raising further criticisms because the FIFA president Gianni Infantino had not joined the congress.

The National Olympic Committees of Africa president Mustapha Berraf was one of the three who spoke up against the biennial competition, claiming that the new format would have a heavy impact on the continent and football in general.

“The plan would create immeasurable damage and would put sport in danger and, in particular, football,” said Berraf. “It would simply push away other sports and relegate them to the backbenches, which is unacceptable and create a rift between women’s and men’s sport and be a setback to our aim of creating equity and parity for all sports.”

While making his submission, Berraf added that footballers “already play so many games as it is and that they are not robots.” 

“I make the request to put an end to this endeavour which is incompatible with our Olympic values,” he explained.

Berraf’s opposition to FIFA’s plan to host the World Cup biennially came on the heels of Infantino claiming that the new format could help African migrants from finding “death in the sea.”

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