The finals currently take place every four years but Sepp Blatter, president of football's world governing body, says the policy is now "out of date".

He believes staging the game's biggest tournament more often will combat the growing influence of leading European clubs.

Blatter told the Swiss newspaper SonntagsBlick: "I am demanding a clear statement: 'Do we want national teams or do we only want club football?'."

His proposal would see the finals taking place in even-numbered years, with national sides taking part in qualifying during the intervening 12 months.

"The existing four-yearly tournament is out of date. It dates from the 1930s when the teams chugged from one continent to another on ships," he said.

Blatter confirmed that his call was a direct response to plans for a European Super League, which he fears would result in clubs being unwilling to release players for international duty.

Sir Bobby Charlton: "There wouldn't be time to qualify"

The next World Cup will be co-hosted by Japan and South Korea in 2002 and any changes could not come into force before 2006.

But Sir Bobby, a member of England's 1966 World Cup-winning side, said: "My own personal feeling is that every four years is often enough. You have to wait for it and it increase the whole value of it."

He added: "When it comes from Sepp Blatter you take it seriously because he won't have said it lightly. But my own feeling is that it wouldn't have the same attraction and that would be very sad."

The Scottish Football Association also has reservations, but is willing to judge the proposal on its merits.

Spokesman Andy Mitchell said there were "obvious practical difficulties" with the European Championships currently taking place between World Cups.

"I think there would have to be a lot of hard bargaining between UEFA and FIFA for the proposal to become reality," he added.