FIFA’S top brass met yesterday with plans for even more summer football to add to the calendar.

President Gianni Infantino and his colleagues discussed proposals for a new tournament for national sides and an expanded Club World Cup to involve 24 teams and take place every four years. But do we really need even more football?

As a fan, I love nothing better than a summer festival of the beautiful game, even if my liver may tell you otherwise every two years.

However, football managers will argue there is already far too much football and they are not alone.

It seems seasons are now moulding into one long campaign in cricket as well and there is much concern over burnout of the top players.

Cricket was once a summer sport where the national side went away for several weeks in the winter for a Test series, be it Down Under for the Ashes in England’s case, or a trip to the sub-continent such as the current schedule in Sri Lanka.

But in recent times, cricketers seem to be playing all-year round. When our domestic summer ends, albeit these days in September, there are just a few weeks before the top players jet off again and with the added responsibilities of contracts in the Indian Premier League or Australian Big Bash – with Lancashire’s Boltonian spinner Matt Parkinson the latest to join up to the latter – there is little chance of recharging the batteries.

England coach Trevor Bayliss this week warned of too much cricket for players like Ben Stokes and the risk of injury it brings but when the big bucks come calling, who can blame sportsmen and women in taking every opportunity to earn while they can in what is a short career.

Bayliss is not alone with his concerns. His footballing compatriot Gareth Southgate voiced his concern over the early start of the Premier League this season just three weeks or so after the end of the World Cup which saw the Three Lions there until the final weekend.

And with several Liverpool players recently picking up knocks during the last international break, Jurgen Klopp has not held back in his criticism of the new UEFA Nations League either.

I for one agree the amount of breaks for international football is beyond a joke. I may be in a minority, but aside from World Cups or European Championships every other summer, international football does not excite me one bit and I cannot wait to get back to club action after a two-week hiatus.

It is even more damaging on these shores with already packed fixture calendars meaning successful teams and top players will be playing virtually twice a week all season – and that’s without a summer tournament at the end of it.

There will be those who argue footballers are well paid for two games a week and they are. But the body does not take into account the bank balance – whether poor or rich, it has its limitations no matter how well you look after yourself.

The fresher players are, the better they perform and the more likely the paying public will be to tune in.

After all no one wants to see two tired teams playing out meaningless matches in front of half-empty stadia and as the recent behind-closed-doors game between Croatia and England illustrated, football with fans is nothing no matter how much money sponsorship brings in.

When people start to switch off, and they will, those advertisers will take their money elsewhere.

So my message to those suits at the top of FIFA and UEFA is to forget cashing in with even more football, ditch plans for more tournament and let’s make the ones we have better for everybody to enjoy, on and off the pitch.