Women’s football administrators have become the latest organisation to criticise FIFA’s propositions to hold the World Cup every two years.
In a joint statement from UEFA and ten of Europe's women's leagues, they argue against the proposition for the World Cup to be held every two years, also laying out possible negative impacts of FIFA's plans.
The statement which was co-signed by the Women's Super League says "careful reflection" is needed after a "very selective consultation". “We approach the future of the game’s development with an open and progressive mindset, and we appreciate the stated intent of the idea of a biennial Women’s World Cup is to develop football and provide more playing and hosting opportunities…”
“However, such a far-reaching proposal requires serious scrutiny within the context in which it sits – the women’s football ecosystem. An ecosystem that is growing at pace but has not fully matured,” the open letter read.
The speed with which FIFA have launched and moved forward with the proposed biennial World Cup is a major cause of concern as the letter highlights that expansion of the men’s World Cup which would negatively impact on the growth and development of women’s football.
“Further congestion to the men’s IMC with more men’s final tournaments … will hamper the visibility and growth of women’s youth, club and national team competitions and women’s domestic leagues around the globe,” the letter says.
It goes on to claim that the needs of an altered men’s game would place “further strain on technical, medical, and administrative resources available to women’s national team football players, as the need for regular year-long provisions of such expertise is removed and resource is focused on men’s competitions”.
Among the signatories of the letter include the Women's Super League, the European Club Association, and UEFA, the major opposition side to FIFA’s reform plans. The leagues are also calling for an "open forum" to discuss proposals over a way forward.
