Why does FIFA World Cup take place after every 4 years only?

Qatar will organize the very first FIFA tournament in the Middle East in November and December. It is furthermore the first edition to take place in European winter. The tournament is usually held in June and July, but the temperature in the county made it unrealistic.

The FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022 will be the 22nd edition of the FIFA tournament, which began in Uruguay in 1930. Jules Rimet organized the first FIFA World Cup during his stint as FIFA president from 1921 to 1954. In 1946, the first trophy, which was used until 1970, was also labeled after him.

Also Read: Is quarantine mandatory for fans visiting Qatar during 2022 FIFA World Cup?

Why does FIFA World Cup take place after every 4 years only?

FIFA hosted the inaugural year of the FIFA World Cup in 1930. Every FIFA-affiliated country was welcomed to the first World Cup in 1930, but the maximum of 16 teams was not obtained. Instead, only 13 countries from three confederations participated in the championship. The 16-nation capacity was reached after the first qualifying matches in 1934.

Since then, FIFA has held a World Cup every four years, except in 1942 and 1946, when World War II broke out. Since 1950, the quadrennial event layout has seen eight nations accomplish global honor. Brazil has a record five titles to their name.

Since Les Bleus earned their second World Cup championship in Russia in 2018, France is the defending champion heading to Qatar. Four World Cups have been won by Germany and Italy, while France, Argentina, and Uruguay each have two. Only England and Spain have won a championship once.

Number of Qualification matches for the FIFA World Cup

Well, there are several reasons why FIFA has historically held international competitions every four years. The overwhelming number of qualification games needed for the event is one of the main causes.

865 games were played during the Qatar 2022 qualification phase to select the 31 teams that would join the host country. That contains all group stage contests for each confederation as well as all playoff contests. The only country that enters the World Cup automatically is the host nation.

For the 2022 World Cup, a total of 211 FIFA members could have qualified, but only 206 did. Seven nations either decided not to participate in any qualifying rounds or later dropped after taking part in some matches. In reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, FIFA also suspended Russia.

FIFA will also expand the count of teams vying at the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the US, Mexico, and Canada. The succeeding edition will feature competition from 48 different countries in North America. FIFA increased the number of participating teams from 24 to 32 in 1998.

Travel restrictions in the early years of the FIFA World Cup

Because teams couldn’t move around as easily, travel restrictions also prevented the early World Cups from being played more frequently. In fact, due to the long and tedious sea voyage, only four European and two North American teams approved FIFA’s invitation to the debut World Cup in 1930.

Additionally, clubs had to give up their players for two months, which, according to FIFA, caused European countries to boycott that year. To see at least four European nations—Belgium, France, Yugoslavia, and Romania—travel to South America, Rimet had to get individually involved.

Time to build the infrastructure for the FIFA World Cup

FIFA also considers how long it will take the host nation to prepare its infrastructure for a World Cup. Qatar has had 12 years to get ready after winning the privilege to host the 2022 edition back in 2010. The tiny Gulf state has worked very hard during the interim years. To accommodate the anticipated 1.3 million tourists, seven new stadiums have also been built, along with a five-lane highway. According to official statistics, as of September 2022, Qatar had 2.9 million residents.

Can FIFA organize World Cup more often than every four years?

FIFA is exploring changing the World Cup from being held every four years to being held every two years starting in 2028. However, several football associations opposed the idea of having the competition every other year in the best interest of a quadrennial event.

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