Real Madrid star Luka Modric not in favour of FIFA's biennial World Cup plan

FIFA has been contemplating the concept of holding a World Cup every two years and based on reports, UEFA, some of Europe's leading clubs, many of the top footballers, national associations, even the International Olympic Committee, have voiced their concerns against it. Now Real Madrid's star midfielder Luka Modric has also spoken out against the biennial FIFA World Cup, saying that it 'doesn't make sense' and criticised FIFA for not consulting the players about such decisions. Speaking at a pre-match press conference ahead of Real Madrid's Champions League game against Shakhtar Donetsk, Luka Modric said: "To me, a World Cup every two years doesn't make sense. It's special because everyone waits for four years. They don't ask the players about anything, they try to do things without asking, to be honest, I don't want to watch the World Cup every two years."

Modric also spoke about his teammate, Karim Benzema's chances of winning the Ballon d'Or saying that the French forward deserved the award. Modric himself had won the Ballon d'Or back in 2018 after he had a stellar season with the Blancos and with his national team as he led Croatia to the finals of the FIFA World Cup. "Let's see, there are several candidates, Karim is one of them and I hope he wins," Modric continued. "He deserves it because of how he has played this year and because of his career. He has always been at the top level and has finally won a title with France, which is also important, he is one of the top candidates for sure."

IOC express 'strong reservations' against biennial FIFA World Cup

Even though IOC President Thomas Bach said a month ago that they will not interfere in the decision, the IOC had released a statement against FIFA's plan of hosting a biennial World Cup. In the statement, they cite the numerous oppositions that FIFA have faced and that the IOC also share the same reservations.

"A number of international federations of other sports, national football federations, clubs, players, player associations and coaches have expressed strong reservations and concerns regarding the plans to generate more revenue for FIFA," the IOC's Executive Board said in a statement. "The IOC shares these concerns and supports the calls of stakeholders of football, international sports federations and major event organisers for a wider consultation, including with athletes' representatives, which has obviously not taken place." The IOC gave several reasons for the call for 'wider consultations'. They said that the increased number of World Cups would create a clash with other major international sports and also cited the impact it could have on the health of the players.

Image: AP