ZURICH (DPA) – Without national coach Hansi Flick, world football association FIFA will this week argue with the coaches of men’s national teams over controversial plans for the World Cup every two years.

At the request of the German Press Agency, the German Football Association stated that Flick would not take part.

Online video conferences are scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday. The reform of the international calendar is currently a matter of controversy, with European football federation UEFA and continental union CONMEBOL opposing the shortening of the World Cup cycle from four to two years. The International Olympic Committee had recently criticized the plans and expressed “concern”.

A FIFA Technical Advisory Group, chaired by director Arsene Wenger, proposed hosting the World Cup every two years, and shortened the pace to continental tournaments such as the European Championship. As a result, the change should eventually take effect with 48 countries in the United States, Canada and Mexico for the first time since the 2026 World Cup. The federations’ tournaments will then be held in 2027. In the already planned EM year 2028, the next World Cup was due to take place again.

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