FIFA President Gianni Infantino said opponents of changing the dates for the popular game's World Cup are afraid of change and want to preserve their privileges and positions, while Africa backed the new proposals on Friday.
In a non-explicit reference to the game officials in Europe and South America who opposed the plan to hold the global finals every two years instead of 4 years, Infantino said that these people do not want any change, because they are at the top of the game and want to continue.
Infantino's comments came during the General Assembly of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) held in Cairo, during which a resolution was unanimously approved to support the FIFA President's plans to hold the finals every two years.
Infantino indicated that he would continue consultations and solicit opinions on the new plans, but did not specify a time frame for implementation.
The FIFA president also said that senior game officials did not want any changes "for fear that their positions would be exposed to any risks... We appreciate and respect that, but at the same time we cannot close the door and must keep it open."
World Cup every two years for Africa
"We have to provide more opportunities for football at the global level, and give African football a chance to launch on the world stage," Infantino added.
UEFA said the new proposals "would have an opposite effect on the balance between domestic, regional, continental and international competitions," while CONMEBOL said the proposals "disregard nearly 100 years of footballing tradition".
The number of teams participating in the World Cup will increase to 48 teams (instead of 32 currently) starting from the 2026 finals that will be hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.