Women's World Cup could be held every two years under 'creative' Fifa plans
Continuing the growth of women’s football could require holding a World Cup every two years, Gianni Infantino has said.
Fifa’s president believes football must “get the creative juices flowing” if it is to continue the recent successes of the women’s game, which could also involve a Club World Cup for women’s teams.
“Last year we saw the most beautiful Women’s World Cup in history,” Infantino told the annual Fifa congress, held remotely this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic. “With 260 million viewers more people watched the final than the Superbowl. Technically and tactically, it was a feast for the eyes.
“But [to grow the game further] we don’t want to copy what the men are doing. We want something specific for the women’s game. We need to think about different suggestions.
“Finals between confederations, [finals] on a continental level every two years, maybe even a World Cup every two years rather than four. To have a Club World Cup for the women’s game.
We need to think about it, we need to get those creative juices flowing.”
Fifa has pledged $1bn in funding for the women’s game until 2022, with Infantino confirming the money would be unaffected by coronavirus.
One consistent message was that Fifa remains in strong financial health. As of 31 May this year, the governing body had financial reserves of $2.5bn although more than half of that has since been committed to a Covid relief fund.
Infantino used the occasion to assert his view that Fifa has changed since he became president in 2017 and addressed the criminal investigation he is under after he met privately the Swiss attorney general in charge of prosecuting corruption within football. Infantino has strenuously denied wrongdoing.
“In 2015 Fifa was toxic,” he said. “It was pronounced dead, an organisation that had used football instead of serving it. So why was I meeting the Swiss attorney general? Because it was my duty. I had to do my due diligence because I wanted to liberate Fifa from these old toxic values.
“We will continue to fight against corruption in football and continue to cooperate with authorities that will help us save and reform football.”