UEFA and CONMEBOL have pledged closer cooperation ©Getty Images

UEFA and the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) have announced a further cooperation agreement which will include their respective men's champions facing off - but which reads mostly as a message to FIFA, given both's opposition to the proposal to stage biennial World Cups.

Both UEFA and CONMEBOL have come out against the FIFA World Cup being played every two years, with UEFA's objections particularly vociferous.

Today's announcement concerns a "broadening of their [UEFA and CONMEBOL] existing cooperation", UEFA said in a statement.

As well as Euro 2020 winners Italy playing Copa América champions Argentina in June 2022, UEFA and COMNEBOL are to open a joint office in London.

The exchange of referees and technical training schemes will also be covered by the agreement, and the organisations say their cooperation will extend to women’s football, youth football and futsal.

"By reaching this agreement, UEFA and CONMEBOL express their commitment to the development of football beyond their geographical zones, as a bridge uniting people, countries, continents and cultures", the statement continued.

"The UEFA Executive Committee and the CONMEBOL Council also expressed a strong willingness to continue collaborating on other issues of mutual interest going forward."

Three editions of the match between the respective men's continental champions have been agreed.

UEFA and CONMEBOL have found themselves on the same side of the debate as FIFA rolls out a consultation process over the international calendar and a proposal to host the World Cup biennially. 

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin has been vociferous in his opposition to a biennial World Cup ©Getty Images
UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin has been vociferous in his opposition to a biennial World Cup ©Getty Images

FIFA's chief of global development Arsène Wenger is one of the primary officials making the case for a World Cup every two years, and the idea appears to have broad support among FIFA members.

The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, Confederation of African Football (CAF), Asian Football Confederation and Oceania Football Confederation have all welcomed the consultation.

CAF - whose President Patrice Motsepe was elected to the post as part of an agreement secured following FIFA President Gianni Infantino conducting an African tour, where he met with the four candidates and Motsepe's three rivals all withdrew from the race, later assuming senior positions within CAF - had previously expressed full support for a biennial World Cup.

UEFA and CONMEBOL members represent just 65 of FIFA's 211 affiliated associations.

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin has claimed a biennial FIFA World Cup would dilute the quality of the tournament, with the Slovenian arguing the "the jewel of the World Cup has value precisely because of its rarity".

European and South American sides could even boycott the World Cup should FIFA decide to play it every two years, Čeferin has claimed.