Henry: Biennial World Cups are difficult for the players mentally and psychologically

Former France international World Cup champion Thierry Henry believes that doubling the frequency of World Cup matches will make players mentally exhausted, and he questions why FIFA should push the views of retired stars instead of considering the problem from the perspective of active stars.

The plan to host the World Cup every two years was actively promoted by Henry's mentor, former Arsenal manager Athena Wenger, who is currently the main leader in fifa's global football development.

Henry took part in a show at CBS on Wednesday with former Danish and Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel, the former criticising the offer. Schmeichel traveled to Qatar earlier this month for a FIFA meeting and joined Wenger in a virtual press conference to explore the possibility of hosting a World Cup every two years.

Henry admits that even if he plays in the World Cup every four years, he and other players are under great pressure. Since 1930, with the exception of the World Cup, which was suspended for a long time during World War II, FIFA's tournament has been held every four years.

Henry said: "Will FIFA ask the current players what they think about this? I've been in four World Cups and three European Championships, which is a great mental test for me. It's not about the tournament I'm playing, it's just that you have to prepare for the World Cup and stay in shape at all times so that you can get into the next league right away. So if you play every two years, it's mentally and psychologically difficult for a player. ”

While covering the Champions League in a CBS studio, Henry, a member of the '98 World Cup, was abruptly interrupted by former England international Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, accusing Schmeichel of trying to defend FIFA.

Carragher said he had recent phone calls with Arsene Wenger, former Liverpool team-mate Mascherano and former Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure. Carragher was not included in the so-called "Top Footballer Sequence" by FIFA at the time... This is part of the ongoing consultation process on the future of global football. But the list is full of Arsene Wenger's supporters, such as Margo Jr., who represented Argentina in four World Cups, and Toure, who represented Côte d'Ivoire in three World Cups.

Carragher said: "Maybe I was not invited to the next World Cup because I did not fully support the World Cup 2.0 plan like Schmeichel. My biggest question is why we need the support of retired stars for this bill. We don't want to go through this muddy water, you can ask which stars would like to participate in this? ”

At a FIFA press conference earlier this month, Wenger was the only supporter of the proposal to host a World Cup every two years.

"On this issue, it is necessary to ask the active stars of Verratti, Chiellini, Mbappe, Salah, who should be the leaders of the bill... Instead of retired stars like Da Luo and Schmeichel. Carragher said.

Wenger said his priority now is to reduce the player's turnover and reduce the national team's interference with the club, while at the same time ensuring more high-level competition.

The current system – which typically allows players in Europe to take long-haul flights back to their national teams during short breaks throughout the season – could be replaced by a scheme to play fewer qualifiers in October.

International matches will take place in June each year in order to free up time for players to get a mandatory 25-day leave in July before allowing them to return to the club's matches.

"I made a really bad decision in my career," Schmeichel said. 'My spirits were completely depleted after the World Cup and I decided to leave Manchester United because my mental state at that time was not enough to rationally think about such an important decision.

Schmeichel decided to leave Manchester United a year after representing Denmark in the World Cup in 1998. In an interview with The Manchester United blog last year, he complained that the only tournaments currently held every four years are the World Cup and the European Cup.

"Every two years, your vacation goes away," he said. "You just go straight back to the club from the game."

As CBS anchor Kate Abdul pointed out to Schmeichel on Wednesday: "You mean that despite the mental impact the World Cup has had on you, you still want to see the World Cup held more often?"

"Of course." Schmeichel replied.

Abdul added: "If the World Cup is really held every two years, is it still called the World Cup?" "A lot of fans even traveled half the world... Participate in such events every four years. If the World Cup is held frequently, how many people can afford to spend a huge amount of money every two years. Doesn't that reduce the value of the World Cup in some way?"

Henry questioned Wenger's claim to a 25-day break, with Wenger stressing that it would be a mandatory rest for players after the league, while the European Championships could become biennial to ensure matches are held every June and July.

"It's going to take me more than 25 days to recover," Henry said. "Wenger's proposal of 25 days seems physically feasible, but psychologically difficult to agree with."

UEFA and SAAFA oppose hosting the World Cup every two years, which would be a huge test for FIFA President Infantino.

(Kitahako)