With the nonchalance of a great footballer, Arsène Wenger tried on Monday evening to dispel all concerns that stand in the way of his plans as development director of the world football association FIFA. The former coach of Arsenal FC would like to host a world championship every two years from 2028, which is causing displeasure, especially in Europe and South America. On Monday, FIFA President Gianni Infantino concretized his plans at an online meeting of all 211 member nations of the world association, and Wenger then stated: "90 percent of the resistance is based on emotions, not facts or analyzes." the two reformers presented are truly impressive: in a period of four years alone, he expects additional income of 4.4 billion US dollars,said Infantino and immediately announced generous distributions for everyone.

An additional $ 16 million would flow to each of the member associations in the first four-year period.

In addition, existing funding programs are to be subsidized with a further three million dollars.

This is particularly interesting for the representatives of the many smaller football nations, who can improve their sports infrastructure and enable their officials to raise their salaries nicely.

In addition, these countries would have significantly better chances of occasionally qualifying for the major global football show if the tournament, which will be held with 48 teams instead of 32, takes place twice as often from 2028.

Infantino: "Everyone will benefit"

"The gap between those who have and those who need funds has widened," said Infantino, "it has to get smaller." But even rich associations like the German Football Association (DFB) would earn more overall , it says in the 700 page long concept of the world association. “In the end everyone will benefit, the big or the rich, the small or the poor. Everyone will have additional opportunities to play and generate additional income, ”said Infantino. However, the plan provides that Europeans will no longer receive 70 percent of FIFA payments, but only 60 percent.

In the game calendar, the reform would mean that world championships would be held in even years, while the European Championship, the Asian Cup and the South American continental tournament Copa America would take place in the odd years. The Africa Cup is to be moved from January to autumn. This would make the national teams more important, the consequences for club football are unclear.

In any case, Infantino claimed that his idea was "the opposite of the Super League": the plan of some major clubs to create the Champions League through an exclusive top event for the premium brands of world football had failed in the spring amid loud protests because much of the football world would be excluded.

The new World Cup concept, on the other hand, offers “opportunities for everyone,” explained Infantino.

"That's the basic principle of this project," he said.

For the majority of the smaller football associations without their own big league there are actually few reasons to vote against such a reform.

Nevertheless, the resistance is great.

UEFA's counter-project

The most important European clubs, several national leagues, the associations of organized fans, the international players' union, UEFA and the South American continental association CONMEBOL had clearly positioned themselves against Infantino's plans. The reason for this is that these numbers and the sums traded are not yet known there, replied Infantino when he was asked about the reluctance of influential players in the global football system. Whereby neither the impending overload of the professionals nor the marginalization of women's football in a bloated calendar can be combated with money. And UEFA, together with CONMEBOL, has already set the course for a kind of counter-project.

From 2024, all ten South American nations will take part in the UEFA Nations League, six in the highest league A, the other four in league B. In addition, a study commissioned by the Europeans has shown that the member associations of the European football association will shorten of the World Cup cycle threatened to lose 2.5 to 3 billion euros over a period of four years.

A real battle over concepts and interpretations has broken out.

For example, last week FIFA presented a survey that showed that 63.7 percent of “fans” around the world would welcome more frequent World Cups for men.

The reform could be decided at the FIFA Congress in Qatar at the end of March, but there is no need to rush, said Infantino.

Resistance from Europe is still a serious threat to the project.