Gareth Bale Opposes FIFA Proposal For Two-Year World Cup

Gareth Bale is not for the proposal by FIFA to have the World Cup after every two years.

The 32-year-old Wales captain says that if this was the case, the appeal of the game would be lost.

The Real Madrid winger is set to play his last World Cup Game in 2022 in Qatar.

Commenting on the proposal, he says a four-year timeline for the Word Cup feels special and enthusiastic.

Losing History

“I like the tradition of every four years. It has that prestige, like the Olympics where it comes around every four years. It feels that little bit more special because it’s not happening too often,” Bale noted.

With the two-year proposal, Bale feels that “history is lost”.

“It does make it that bit more prestigious … I don’t really like that every two years because it loses that bit of history.”

The FIFA proposal has received pessimism from football quarters Manchester United leading the pack.

Manchester United Opposes

The Red Devils’ chief executive Ferran Soriano maintained that it is not possible to hold the World Cup after every two years.

Soriano maintained that the football calendar is already full and no more adjustments can be made. He termed it “overwhelming”.

FIFA has since come under fire from stakeholders for overlooking participation.

European Club Association (ECA) president Nasser al-Khelaifi together with Andrea Radrizzani – Leeds United owner – called on FIFA to consult further with stakeholders.

Radrizzani while dismissing the two-year proposal said they can a discussion on anything beyond three years.

“I would like every four years but perhaps there could be a discussion around every three,” the Paris Saint-Germain chief executive stated.

FIFA Rethink

Further, Football; Supporters Europe (FSE) and all six European confederations in a joint statement asked FIFA to dismiss the proposal in its entirety.

FSE opined that taking such a move would disorient the football calendar.

“Such a move threatens to destroy the already fragile balance between local, domestic, continental, and international competitions and calendars.

“The game needs to change. But it needs to change for the better. We do not want or need more World Cups.”