UEFA, CONCACAF in talks for 96-team Nations League to rival FIFA

UEFA and CONCACAF have initiated talks for a joint Nations League tournament featuring all 96 member nations from both confederations.

The announcement comes as FIFA president has been under fire for pitching a controversial World Cup sell-off plan to private investors that drew backlash from all member associations. Even after dropping the plan, FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has been under pressure as calls grow for his resignation.

Global soccer fans across the world launched a petition on Thursday, demanding the boss resign.

“The shameful attempt by one individual — the FIFA President himself — to sell off the World Cup to private investors exposed a betrayal football will never forget,” the petition read.

The joint league in question would mirror existing Nation League formats, utilizing a multi-league structure based on team rankings, followed by a knockout phase and a "final-four" tournament to crown a champion.

The tournament that could rival FIFA is expected to launch as early as 2028. Moreover to reduce the need for new calendar space, the tournament will fit into existing football windows, including September, October and November for league play, March for knockouts and June for finals.

The initiative is seen as a challenge to FIFA, appearing in the context of increased friction between these confederations and FIFA leadership over controversies like the "World Cup sell-off."

The tournament will generate significant revenue by hosting competitive matches between top European teams and CONCACAF nations, paving the way for providing extra income to smaller nations.

Speaking about its expansion, the structure is going to be flexible as the Asian Football Confederation has expressed interest in joining such a global format in future.

As per sources, the discussions are underway. Both UEFA and Concacaf have not issued any statement of confirmation yet.