Challenge to Infantino! UEFA and CONCACAF want joint Nations League | OneFootball

UEFA and CONCACAF have begun formal talks to create a joint Nations League that would bring together 96 national teams from Europe, North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, according to an exclusive report by British newspaper The Guardian in an article by journalist Matt Hughes.

The project, which could launch in 2028 after the end of the next European Championship, represents a new direct challenge to the authority of FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, amid the leadership and institutional crisis facing world football’s governing body following recent controversies over the commercialization of the World Cup.

How would the new competition work?

Although negotiations are still at an early stage, The Guardian notes that the tournament structure would mirror the divisional format both confederations already use in their respective Nations Leagues:

An economic and institutional boost

According to the information provided by The Guardian, one of the keys to this format is the strong commercial appeal of seeing Europe’s biggest powers play official matches on North American soil.

Part of the revenue generated from rights sales and sponsorship would be redistributed among the smaller federations, guaranteeing a notable increase in their budgets.

The project would also offer an attractive alternative to federations such as the Mexican one (FMF), which had considered exploring options with CONMEBOL given the economic limitations of the regional landscape.

In addition, the British newspaper indicates that the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has shown interest in joining a globally scoped Nations League in the future, a scenario for which the proposed format would retain the necessary flexibility.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

📸 PAU BARRENA - AFP or licensors