Kylian Mbappe & Robert Lewandowski express concerns over biennial World Cup

Daniel Brown

‘If you hold it every two years, it can start to be normal to play [in the] World Cup’

Kylian Mbappe and Robert Lewandowski have voiced concerns over holding a World Cup every two years.

FIFA – and particularly Arsène Wenger – are keen to hold a biennial World Cup, proposing the change as part of a revamped calendar.

The governing body recently told delegates at a summit that a biennial World Cup would generate more than £3.3bn in additional revenue over a four-year cycle.

However, France and Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe has insisted that the World Cup is ‘special’ because it only takes place every four years.

“The World Cup is the World Cup,” said the 23-year-old, speaking at the Globe Soccer Awards.

“It’s a special thing because it’s something [held] every four years.”

He added: “[It is] the best thing, the best competition in the world.

“If you hold it every two years, it can start to be normal to play [in the] World Cup. I want to say that’s not normal. That [should be] something amazing.”

Mbappe speaks out against Infantino’s plans for World Cups every two years https://t.co/dNpPNLy0ws

— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) December 27, 2021

Mbappe – who helped France win the World Cup in 2018 – also suggested that in order to see ‘quality’ within football, people need to respect players’ health.

“We play over 60 games in a year. You have Euros, the World Cup, now the Nations League – so many competitions. We are happy to play but when it’s too much, it’s too much. We have to recover, we have to stay relaxed,” he said.

“If people want to see quality in the game, the emotion, to see what makes the beauty of football, I think we have to respect the health of players.”

Bayern Munich and Poland forward Lewandowski echoed Mbappe’s concerns over the demands on players if a World Cup was to be held every two years.

“We have so many games every year, so many tough weeks, not only the games but preparation for the season, preparation for the big tournaments,” said the 33-year-old.

“If you want to offer something special, something different, we also need a break.

“If we have a World Cup every two years, the expectation is the time where footballers play at a high level will go down … It is physically and mentally impossible.”

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar kicks off on Monday November 21 at the Al Bayt stadium in Al Khor with a match that will feature the host country.

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