Facebook
Britain's News Portal
Around The Clock
BREAKING
Loading latest headlines…

Uefa Poised to Challenge Fifa's World Cup Commercial Rights Plan

Uefa is expected to lead resistance against Fifa President Gianni Infantino's latest plan to commercialise rights for Fifa events, including the World Cup, a move it has reportedly done successfully in the past.

  • Uefa has previously blocked Fifa's attempts to expand the Club World Cup, launch a Global Nations League, and introduce biennial World Cups.
  • Europe provided three of the four semi-finalists at this summer’s World Cup and five of the last six tournament winners.
  • Almost a third of Fifa's media rights income comes from Europe, making it the largest contributor to the tournament's revenue.

Uefa is anticipated to spearhead opposition to Fifa President Gianni Infantino's proposal to carve out commercial rights for Fifa events, including the World Cup. This follows a pattern of Uefa challenging Infantino's more ambitious schemes.

In 2018, Uefa's strong resistance reportedly prevented Infantino's plan to raise $25bn from investors for an expanded Club World Cup and a Global Nations League from reaching a vote. Three years later, Uefa's reaction, alongside political pressure and fan backlash, contributed to the swift end of the European Super League project.

Uefa, with support from its South American counterpart Conmebol, also opposed Infantino's 2022 suggestion of hosting World Cups every two years. Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin reportedly stated to The Times, "We can decide not to play in it," highlighting the threat of a boycott from Uefa nations.

Fifa relies significantly on Europe, which supplied three of the four semi-finalists at this summer's World Cup and five of the last six winners. Europe also contributes nearly a third of Fifa's media rights income.

Why this matters: Uefa's actions could determine the future commercial structure of major international football tournaments.

Related Articles

Get the news that matters.

Join thousands of readers getting the best of British news straight to their inbox.