At its 71^st Congress in May, FIFA approved a proposal from the Saudi Arabian Football Federation to undertake a feasibility study on holding football’s showpiece tournament every two years.

The proposal to investigate the possibility further was passed by 166 votes to 22, but fitting continental tournaments into the calendar as well may prove problematic, and any such move could have to overcome a backlash from fans.

However, Lekjaa, who is also a member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee, was vocal in his support of the plan at the Congress, and said at the time it could help with FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s aims to shift the dominance of the sport away from Europe and South America.

In a recent interview with Le360 Sport, Lekjaa went further, speaking of the opportunities it could bring to African football by allowing more teams from the continent to appear on the global stage.

He dismissed suggestions that the move could devalue the World Cup, believing it would remain "an amazing competition" and would become "more democratic."

The FRMF President was strongest on European opposition to the move, with UEFA’s head of football, the Croatian former AC Milan midfielder Zvonimir Boban, saying in July that the proposal is impractical and unworkable.

"I have to say I was extremely disappointed with some reactions on this matter," Lekjaa said.

"The international match calendar is not decided after 2024 so people should sit down and talk about the best solutions for everyone not just for those who enjoy all privileges, who have all the resources and look at Africa and other continents as second-class people that they have to put up with.

"It’s easy to make headlines and campaigns against racism and discrimination but what Africa wants is concrete actions and good will, not arrogant, dictatorial, and discriminatory positions while refusing to debate ideas.

"One more month every four years.

"We are not asking for something unrealistic.

"The ones who are against the World Cup every two years are in fact egotists because they are discriminating millions of people just to protect they own commercial interests.

"They should support the possibility to give hope to hundreds of million of people of our continent."

The FIFA World Cup has been held every four years since its incarnation in 1930, apart from a 12-year break from 1938 to 1950 because of the Second World War.

The idea of doubling the number of World Cups held has previously been mooted by former FIFA President Sepp Blatter in 1999 and 2001, and by South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) President Alejandro Domínguez in 2018.

Former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, who was appointed as FIFA’s chief of global football development in November 2019, first came out in support of holding a World Cup every two years in March, and reiterated his position in July.

Current FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in 2019 that the Women’s World Cup could be held every two years.

The next edition of the men’s FIFA World Cup is scheduled for November and December 2022 in Qatar.

In 2018, FIFA announced the biggest change to the format of the competition since its expansion to 32 teams in France 1998.

From the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, 48 teams will enter the competition and be divided into 16 groups of three, with the top two advancing to the knockout stages, which will begin from the round of 32 as opposed to the current round of 16.