Le Graët backs two years World Cup ahead of meeting with Uefa President

Noël Le Graët, the president of the French Football Federation, FFF has again reiterated his support for the study commissioned by the FIFA Congress to review the International Calendar among other reforms, chief of which is the proposal to examine the feasibility of hosting the FIFA World every two years rather than four years ahead of his scheduled meeting with the President of Uefa, Aleksander Ceferin on Thursday in Paris.

Le Graët was quoted by Le Monde on Wednesday:

“I am very favourable to the project(biennial world cup) with regard to women ” confirms Le Graët to Le Monde. “ For the Boys, I philosophically adhere to the project led by Infantino: there are a lot of lucrative competitions in Europe and the competitions must be allocated more equitably between the continents, especially with Africa. I am not a dissident by nature even though I am the only one in Europe holding this position. At Uefa, there are a lit-bit of yes men”, there are no real reflections.”

The meeting in paris, is believed in part an opportunity for Le Graët and Ceferin to discuss his decision to tow a different line from the majority of the Uefa Members, however, Le Graët has assured that he is waiting to see the financial model developed by FIFA around the proposal before deciding if it comes to a vote. 

There will be a FIFA congress on December 20, 2021 to review the findings and reports from the ongoing  consultations around the feasibility of the idea of the World Cup every two years.

“I am waiting for FIFA to present a complete, credible and viable financial plan to make a decision,” continues  Le Graët

“It’s very clear: if the FIFA project is not economically credible, I will say to Gianni [Infantino] : ‘Withdraw your project.’ If the FFF loses financially, I will have no reason to vote for this project, he explains. It is necessary, as Gianni announced, that everyone finds their account in this new system, that there is more money, that the chains buy the rights of the matches. “