Manchester City and Belgium playmaker Kevin De Bruyne believes FIFA's proposals to host a World Cup every two years are "not a bad idea".
Members of FIFA have held discussions to potentially shorten the gap between its showpiece men's and women's events from four to two years, with former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger – FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development – leading a technical advisory group discussing the men's footballing calendar.
Such drastic changes would see more games added to the calendar, with a major international tournament played every summer, but De Bruyne believes these proposals can work if players are given an appropriate period of rest and recovery.
Speaking to Belgian news outlet Belga, the 30-year-old said: "At the start of the season, I had a meeting with FIFA and Arsene Wenger to explain to us what they wanted to do.
"To do something like that, federations of all countries, UEFA and FIFA have to coordinate. Everyone has to work together.
"I insisted on a second point: I told them that they had to keep a real period of rest for us, the players, at the end of the season. The idea isn't bad in itself, as long as everyone works together."
UEFA and European leagues including the Premier League have opposed the idea of a biennial World Cup, while the likes of De Bruyne's club manager Pep Guardiola would welcome a fair debate over the issue.
Oliver Thomas
