IOC members fume over plans for biennial soccer World Cup

BEIJING : Members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Thursday vented their frustration over plans for a biennial soccer World Cup instead of the current four-year cycle, saying it would have a major negative impact on other sports.

On the first day of the IOC session before the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics on Friday, IOC members called on Gianni Infantino, the president of world soccer's governing body and who is also an IOC member, to drop his plans.

Infantino, who has cancelled his trip to China, has said changing the World Cup cycle from four years to two would generate an extra $4.4 billion in revenues for the world body.

FIFA said the additional funds would help reduce the gap in revenues between developed and less developed football markets.

But international sports federations as well as the IOC, which organises the Olympics - Summer or Winter Games - every two years, have opposed Infantino's plans.

A biennial World Cup would clash with the Summer Olympics while also denting the Games' commercial appeal. Currently the World Cup is held two years apart from the Summer Olympics.

The World Cup is the biggest international single sports event, commanding sponsorship and broadcasting deals far greater than any other international federation's event. A tournament every two years would overshadow all other competitions.

"We would like to discuss together with the FIFA President and IOC member but this is not possible now against the expectation, because he cancelled his visit to Beijing the day before yesterday," IOC chief Thomas Bach told the IOC session.

"We should not discuss now on a wider scale this issue in his absence in respect for our colleague and IOC member. If you agree we will try to make