UEFA and Concacaf discuss the joint Nations League in the latest challenge to FIFA | UEFA
UEFA and Concacaf have begun talks about creating a combined Nations League tournament that includes all 96 countries from Europe, North America, Central America and the Caribbean, in another direct challenge to FIFA.
The Guardian has learned that, having joined together to push for the dismissal of Gianni Infantino in light of the controversy over the sell-off of the World Cup, the two confederations are now working on creating their own biennial tournament, which could launch as early as 2028 after the next European Championship.
League A would feature the best teams in Europe, including Spain, France, England and Germany, playing competitive league matches against the highest-ranked nations in Concacaf, such as Mexico, the United States and Canada.
UEFA and Concacaf launched Nations League competitions in 2018, with the confederations hosting matches in the same international windows, so the mechanics needed to host a joint tournament are already in place.
According to preliminary plans, the league phase would be played during the existing international breaks in September, October and November, followed by knockout matches in March and finals in June.
As the matches would take place during international windows that have already been agreed, it is unclear whether the new tournament would need to be ratified by FIFA, although given that the world governing body is in the midst of an existential crisis with Infantino facing a leadership challenge that may be a moot point.
With serious discussions only beginning in recent weeks, the number of teams in each league has yet to be determined, but all 96 members of UEFA and Concacaf would be involved and much of the revenue would be pooled, generating significant additional revenue for the smaller nations.
The commercial appeal of larger European teams playing competitive matches regularly in North America and Canada would be considerable, while there would also be big benefits for Mexico, whose football federation (FMF) is known to be frustrated by what it sees as the financial limitations of playing within Concacaf.
The FMF has held initial talks about leaving to join the South American confederation, Conmebol, in a move that would need to be ratified by FIFA, but the prospect of lucrative matches against European rivals could lead to a change of heart.
The proposed new format would replace, rather than add to, existing international matches, while games would be played in geographical blocks to reduce travel.
It is also understood that the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has expressed interest in joining a global Nations League at a future date, and the competition structure being discussed would be flexible enough to accommodate them. However, the AFC does not currently organize a Nations League, so this would be a longer-term aspiration.
UEFA and Concacaf have been working together for some time and signed a memorandum of understanding to promote greater cooperation at the FIFA congress in Vancouver in April, but have become even more closely aligned since the World Cup liquidation plan emerged last month.
Both confederations have made it very clear that they consider Infantino’s position untenable as a result of his role in the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise, and are working together to propose an alternative candidate to face him in next March’s presidential election.
UEFA declined to comment, although a source with knowledge of the proposal confirmed that discussions are taking place.
Concacaf declined to comment directly, but highlighted the confederation’s long-standing commitment to collaboration, which has led to invited teams participating in the Concacaf Gold Cup.
A historically strong relationship with Conmebol has resulted in many South American teams participating in the Gold Cup, as well as South Africa, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
