FIFA proposes staging a new mini-World Cup every two years

FIFA president Gianni Infantino proposed staging what would effectively be a mini-World Cup, featuring eight international teams, every two years in addition to the traditional event.

The tournament, known as the “Final 8”, would be the climax of a proposed global Nations League competition, part of an ambitious plan to reform international football which FIFA believes could be worth $25 billion in a 12-year cycle. Infantino, who has already overseen the enlargement of the existing World Cup from 32 to 48 teams starting in 2026, suggested that the new tournament would take place every October and/or November of every odd year starting from 2021.

He said that a “solid and serious” group of investors were willing to spend $25 billion on the competition and a revamped version of the Club World Cup, which would also start in 2021 with 24 teams. The Confederations Cup, currently staged every four years in a year before the World Cup, would be abolished.

He did not clearly indicate how many slots would be allocated to each region. The plans were sent by Infantino to the members of FIFA’s decision-making Council which still has to approve them. The new competition would run parallel to existing international tournaments such as the European Championship, Copa America, and African Nations Cup, plus the World Cup qualifying stages. It could lead to criticism that FIFA is over-complicating international football and devaluing its flagship World Cup.