FIFA World Cup: Infantino says ‘open mind’ needed on scheduling

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has said everyone in football needs to keep “an open mind” about the scheduling of all future World Cups — not just the 2034 tournament in Saudi Arabia.

The calendar governing international football is fixed until 2030 with discussions ongoing about how it will look after that. World Cups have traditionally been played in June and July, with the exception of the 2022 finals staged in Qatar, played in November and December to avoid the oppressive desert heat.

A similar solution is expected for the Saudi finals in nine years’ time but Infantino insists climate change means consideration around scheduling needs to be given to all future tournaments at international level.

Infantino told delegates at the European Football Clubs General Assembly in Rome: “If you want to play at the same time everywhere, then you can play in March or in October — most likely because in December, you’re not playing in one part of the world, and in July, we’re not playing in another part of the world.”

He later told reporters outside the hall that FIFA was into the “nitty gritty” of discussing scheduling for the Saudi finals but added: “We are discussing all the time. It’s not just about one World Cup – it’s a general reflection — even to play in some European countries in July is very, very hot, so maybe we have to think.

“Actually the best month to play football, which is June, actually is not used very much, in Europe. Maybe there are ways we can optimise the calendar, but we are discussing it and we will see when we come to some conclusions.

We just have to have an open mind.”

Infantino also gave a strong hint about the expansion of the Club World Cup to 48 teams during his speech, saying he wanted to discuss ways to make it “even better, even bigger.”

The competition featured 32 teams for the first time this summer in the United States, with Infantino labelling it a “huge success” in terms of attendances, engagement and the revenue generated.

The scheduling of the competition has sparked legal challenges from domestic leagues and player unions, who have criticised FIFA over what they see as a failure to properly consult over the international fixture calendar.

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However, clubs are keen to see an expansion of the competition, with Chelsea reported to have banked around £85m for their successful run in the U.S., and Infantino indicated a willingness to allow more clubs to join for the next edition, due to be played in 2029.

“It was a success, and now we work together to see how we can make it even better, even bigger, even more impactful,” he told the General Assembly of European Football Clubs, formerly the European Club Association, in Rome.

He said that would involve collaboration with “all the clubs, with all the stakeholders who want to discuss and speak and develop it with us”.

He added: “It will benefit everyone in this room, and also outside of this room. There are, going forward, a lot of challenges obviously, and we are all equipped to deal with all these challenges.”