Gianni Infantino has said FIFA could explore barring teams from playing successive World Cups if he gets his way to make it a biennial event.
The FIFA president held a conference call with European football decision makers on Wednesday as he sought to halve the gap between World Cups.
His plans have been met with strong opposition from UEFA, the European Club Association, the European Leagues, CONMEBOL and the International Olympic Committee - to name but a few.
Inantino told the call that FIFA remain the good guys in world football.
"I believe as well that the enemy of football is not the World Cup or is not FIFA but it is other activities that young boys and young girls are running after today,” he said.
“And we need to see how jointly and together we can bring them back to be interested in football. And we want to, as far as I’m concerned, do this all together as we have always been doing in the last few years.”
Keen to prove that no idea is too ridiculous, Infantino fielded a question from CEO of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), Tiago Craveiro.
Mr. Craveiro asked if the biennial World Cup came to pass, would FIFA consider barring teams from playing in consecutive editions of the tournament.
Infantino replied, "I welcome as well the idea of Thiago to say, well, we need more participation and maybe there is a way of doing that by having two World Cups, but not with the same teams participating
“I don’t know. This is something that the technical people will study, but this is certainly something that we have to look into.”
It was reported earlier this week that as many as twelve associations would consider quitting FIFA if the biennial World Cup idea became a reality.
“I’m seriously seriously asking you and FIFA not to push for a vote because that could have terrible consequences for football," UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin told Infantino.
"I don’t think it would be wise to go for a vote on a matter like that.
"Not just because there will be severe consequences that we will have to take but also because the stakeholders like clubs and leagues don’t have a voting right and this idea is detrimental to their existence.”
It now appears unlikely a vote will be held next month, as per Infantino's wishes. Instead, an online summit will be held tilted towards consultation and discussion.
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