Why Is the FIFA World Cup Held Every Four Years?

The FIFA World Cup returns in 2026 after its traditional four-year absence as 48 teams head to the United States, Canada and Mexico to contest the 23rd edition of the prestigious tournament.

Argentina go into the competition as the defending champions after lifting the famous trophy last time out in Qatar in 2022. The victory was the third time that Argentina have been crowned world champions.

Why is the World Cup held every four years?

There are multiple reasons why the World Cup is held every four years, not least the sheer number of qualification games that need to be played across the globe to determine the finalists. Teams play in regional qualifying tournaments to secure their place at the finals and this process takes years to complete.

The competition is also one of the biggest sporting tournaments on the planet, meaning an incredible amount of planning is required and infrastructure needs to be put in place to allow the matches to take place. The 2026 World Cup will see 104 games played over 39 days across three countries and 16 different stadiums.

At World Cup 2022, seven new stadiums were built in the 12 years between Qatar being announced as hosts of World Cup 2022 and the tournament actually taking place. The Khalifa International Stadium was also renovated.

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The four-year cycle means that the FIFA World Cup follows in the same pattern as the Olympic Games. To avoid a clash between the two global sporting events, the first World Cup was hosted in the middle of two Olympics back in 1930. This is a practice that continues to this day.

Fixture congestion and player welfare also need to be taken into consideration when it comes to scheduling major tournaments. Top stars are already facing a congested schedule due to league and cup competitions as well as European tournaments and, in some cases, the Club World Cup.

International teams also play in continental tournaments, including the Euros, AFCON and the Copa America. These competitions take place in between World Cups.

Could the World Cup be held more frequently?

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Football's world governing body FIFA has previously launched a feasibility study into the possibility of holding World Cups every two years instead of four. The proposal came from Saudi Arabia's football federation, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino calling it an "eloquent and detailed proposal.”

“Fifa has not proposed a biennial World Cup," Infantino said in Doha at the draw for the 2022 World Cup. "Let's get the process clear here - the last Fifa congress asked the Fifa administration...to start a feasibility study into holding the World Cup every two years. The Fifa administration under the leadership of Arsene Wenger did exactly that. Fifa did not propose anything, but came to the conclusion that it is feasible, that it would have some repercussions and impact. We found it would be feasible and even positive for a big part of the world, but there is of course also big opposition to it and that is where the discussion has to start."

Feasibility studies suggested member nations would earn an additional $19m (£14.5m) from a biennial World Cup but the idea has been opposed by European football's governing body Uefa, as well as South American governing body CONMEBOL.

Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has also voiced his opposition to such a move. 

“More games? That means every year a tournament? No chance, that is not right. Where is the good old, very important, pre-season where there is no tournament at all? All people who train for a big competition need preparation,” he told the Guardian. "If you go to the Olympics you go high in the mountains for lots of reasons, train there – and incredibly hard – and then they are well prepared for the moment when they have their competition. But footballers just play the whole year, then three weeks off, then two weeks’ pre-season preparation and then play again. That’s football. How do you improve this game if you only play all the time? You cannot.”

What about the Club World Cup?

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The World Cup is not the only competition that has prompted plenty of debate. There have been calls to consider holding the Club World Cup every two years from 2029.

The Club World Cup expanded to a 32-team tournament in summer 2025 and FIFA will consider holding it every two years after coming under pressure from clubs to make it a biennial event, according to the Guardian.

Yet such a move would put more pressure on an already crowded schedule and potentially prompt a backlash from clubs unhappy with the situation.

Premier League chief executive, Richard Masters has revealed his concerns about such a plan.

“FIFA was put on earth really to regulate the global game and to run international football, and the Club World Cup is a move into club football,” he said. “The leagues and the players have not been consulted at all on the timing and scheduling of the competition, and I think whatever iteration of it may come next, we do need to be consulted on that. Obviously, it does have an impact on the scheduling of the Premier League season, that much is clear. We’re asking for a seat at the table, a proper discussion for the leagues.”

Has the World Cup always been every four years?

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The first World Cup took place in 1930 in Uruguay, followed by Italy 1934 and France 1938. However, there was then a 12-year gap due to World War II which meant the next edition did not take place until 1950 in Brazil.

The competition has continued every four years since then, with the only major change coming in 2022.

The tournament in Qatar moved from the summer to the winter – taking place in November-December – rather than the summer for the first time due to concerns over high temperatures in Qatar.

Switching the tournament to the winter was a major move and drew plenty of criticism as it was staged in the middle of the European domestic season for the first time, forcing competitions to pause while the World Cup took place.