FIFA officials were yesterday claiming a significant advance in the moves to stage the World Cup on a two-year cycle, after a meeting with the hierarchy of the International Olympic Committee in Zurich.

Concerned by the implications of the World Cup finals being staged in the same year as the Olympic Games, Juan Antonio Samaranch, the IOC President, sought and was given assurances by Sepp Blatter, his FIFA counterpart, that there would be no conflict of interests.

Blatter, the prime mover behind the proposal to introduce the most radical change in the history of the World Cup, told the meeting that it was FIFA's intention to stage the championship in uneven years, thereby avoiding a direct clash with the Games.

To facilitate the change over, the initial tournament would be staged on a three-year cycle and thereafter, on a biennial basis with restructured continental championships being held in the valley years.

That assurance appears to have gone some way towards mollifying anxiety within the IOC that the proposed new format of the football championship would draw off valuable commercial and television income, to the detriment of both organisations.

Despite growing opposition to his proposal from within the game, notably from the European governing body, UEFA, Blatter believes that he commands sufficient support to have the new legislation in place within the next 18 months.

He plans to bring the matter before FIFA's executive committee at their next scheduled meeting in Zurich on March 19th and approval there, would enable him to table his contentious proposal at FIFA's General Congress.

UEFA, already badly bruised by Lennart Johansson's unsuccessful campaign for the presidency of FIFA, are hopeful of enlisting the support of CAF, the African Federation which is threatening to play an increasingly important role in FIFA politics, in their opposition to the move, at a meeting in Cape Town on January 26th.

UEFA president Johansson, is "disappointed" by his opposite number at FIFA and says he "expects an apology" from Blatter. Johansson also has the backing of a number of high-profile football figures around Europe and the rest of the world.

In the campaign to give the Olympic football championship added status, the IOC has consistently campaigned for the Under-23 age limit imposed by FIFA for players taking part in the competition, to be revised.

Previously, each of the Olympic finalists has been restricted to three over aged players but following the Zurich talks, FIFA has now agreed to submit a proposal to its executive committee that the number should in future be increased to five.

In return, the Olympic authorities have undertaken to give favourable consideration to a request that the number of countries taking part in the women's football championship, be increased from eight to 12.