By Morakinyo Abodunrin
Majority of football fans across the world have given their implicit support at staging the FIFA World Cup as a biennial event following a recent survey conducted by leading independent industry experts, NationSport can report.
Following a proposal by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation in May, FIFA is reportedly carrying out a feasibility study into the practicalities of altering the World Cup cycle from four years to two, meaning that continental championships including the Africa Cup of Nations would be sandwiched in the alternate years.
The proposal is being led by former Arsenal manager and current FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, Arsene Wenger with some 166 of FIFA’s 210 national associations already backing the idea.
But in its determination to carry all stakeholders along before arriving at the final decision to switch the foremost football championship from a quadrennial event to a bi-annual football spectacle, the world soccer ruling body recently commissioned both the International Research Institutes Network (IRIS) as well as the foremost global provider of data and analysis-YouGov- to conduct the survey.
It was gathered that survey has provided feedback as part of the feasibility study regarding the frequency of the men`s FIFA World Cup.
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“The findings of this online survey, conducted in July 2021, will be used as part of a wider consultation process involving fans, which will take place over several phases,” a FIFA statement noted.
“ 15,000 respondents were identified as expressing an interest in football and the FIFA World Cup, from a broader market research survey involving 23,000 people in 23 countries, across six confederations, commissioned via IRIS and YouGov, independent industry experts. “
Aside from this initial positive development; it was learnt that another survey with the expanded audience is already ongoing all in a bid to ensure a progressive conversation before the final decision is made by FIFA.
“An expanded survey, involving over 100,000 people in more than one hundred countries, is currently underway,” hinted FIFA. “This survey will be more global in scope balances elements such as population, geographic diversity, football history and potential, and covers both the frequency of the men and women`s FIFA World Cup, the findings of which will be published in due course.”
Meanwhile, there are optimism that the bi-annual World Cup might see the light of the day based on initial results from the survey with words rife that the majority of fans would like to see a more frequent men’s FIFA World Cup.
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