Uefa and Concacaf discuss joint Nations League in latest challenge to Fifa
Uefa and Concacaf have begun discussions about launching a joint Nations League tournament involving all 96 member countries from Europe and North and Central America and the Caribbean, marking the latest challenge to Fifa's authority. The move follows the two confederations joining forces to push for the removal of Fifa president Gianni Infantino amid the World Cup sell-off controversy, and the biennial competition could launch as early as 2028, after the next European Championship.
The proposed format would mirror the existing Nations League structures, with league phases followed by knockout rounds and a final-four decider, and would see top European sides such as Spain, France, England and Germany face leading Concacaf nations including Mexico, the United States and Canada. Matches would be played during existing international windows, with revenue pooled to benefit smaller nations, and the tournament would replace rather than add to current fixtures. Mexico's federation, frustrated by Concacaf's financial constraints, could be persuaded to stay rather than switch to Conmebol, while the Asian Football Confederation has reportedly expressed interest in joining a global version in future.
- Uefa and Concacaf plan a combined 96-nation Nations League tournament
- Could launch in 2028, replacing existing international fixtures
- Part of wider push by confederations to oust Fifa's Gianni Infantino
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters of the plan argue that Fifa's governance has grown remote and self-serving under Gianni Infantino, and that Uefa and Concacaf, representing the sport's most commercially significant confederations, have both the standing and the responsibility to offer a more competitive, transparent alternative. A joint Nations League would generate meaningful revenue and meaningful fixtures for 96 national teams, replacing often one-sided friendlies with matches that carry real stakes, and could pressure Fifa to reform its decision-making and financial distribution in response to genuine competition. Advocates see this as healthy accountability: no single body should hold an unchallenged monopoly over the international game.
The case against
Critics warn that fragmenting international football along confederation lines risks undermining the unity that has historically underpinned the global game, potentially sidelining smaller confederations such as Concaf's counterparts in Africa, Asia and South America who lack comparable commercial leverage. They argue that Fifa, whatever its flaws, provides a single global framework for governance, dispute resolution and solidarity payments that benefits the sport's poorer regions, and that a breakaway tournament driven by its two wealthiest confederations could deepen inequality rather than address it. There is also concern that this is less about reform than about power and revenue capture by Uefa and Concacaf themselves, with the ousting of Infantino framed as a political manoeuvre that could destabilise the sport's governance at a moment when unity, not division, is what international football needs.