FIFA president Gianni Infantino thinks his plan to hold the World Cup every two years could encourage people in Africa not to risk their lives by crossing the sea to seek refuge in European countries.
In a speech to an audience of European lawmakers, Infantino said on Wednesday that soccer had come under the control of a few who “have it all” and that it needed to be a more global and inclusive sport.
“We need to find a way to include the whole world, to give hope to Africans so that they don’t have to cross the Mediterranean to suddenly get a better life but in the end meet their death at sea,” he said. Infantino before the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France.
Infantino spoke on the same day that the Spanish authorities reported that at least 18 people died and more than 300 were rescued from different boats when they tried to reach the Canary Islands from North Africa.
“We need to give them dignity, not just charity, by allowing the rest of the world to participate,” Infantino told lawmakers in a session accompanied by Arsène Wenger, FIFA’s director of global development.
FIFA and Wenger have been the focus of criticism from European soccer establishments after formally presenting in September the plan to organize men’s and women’s World Cups every two years instead of the traditional four.
Infantino argues that a more frequent World Cup will allow more countries to qualify and encourage more interest. But it would also generate billions of dollars for FIFA and increase contributions to the 211 member associations in order to boost football.
Although Infantino was a long-time UEFA manager before taking the reins of FIFA in 2016, his tenure as president has been marked by challenging European supremacy at the World Cup — Italy, Spain, Germany and France have won the last four editions. In addition, the clubs of the continent monopolize the best soccer players from other continents.
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