UEFA and Allies Prepare 'Mini World Cup' as a Response to Infantino's Rule
The Global Nations League, a project nearly a decade in the making, is back on the table and could become a direct competitor to FIFA's World Cup.
The Global Nations League, a project nearly a decade in the making, is back on the table and could become a direct competitor to FIFA's World Cup.
World football is on the brink of a major upheaval. According to the British newspaper The Times, three continental confederations, UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), are seriously considering launching a brand new international competition. It would directly rival the FIFA World Cup, based on the existing but never realized Global Nations League project.
This radical move is reportedly a direct response to Gianni Infantino's intention to run for a fourth term at the helm of world football's governing body. Sources close to the negotiations told The Times that the atmosphere is extremely tense. "Everyone is determined, there's no turning back," said one insider, signaling that talks are at an advanced stage.
The plan, first presented back in 2017, has now been reactivated. According to information relayed by Sky Sports UK, the continental Nations Leagues would serve as the qualifying phase. The most successful national teams from all six confederations (UEFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, AFC, CAF, and OFC) would earn a spot in the Global Nations League finals.
The key difference compared to the World Cup is the format. Instead of a single tournament with 48 teams, there would be seven separate tournaments. Each would feature eight teams, seeded according to the FIFA rankings. The competition would follow a knockout system, from the quarter-finals to the final in the host country. The strongest teams would thus regularly face each other in an elite division, while weaker teams would get a chance to succeed against opponents of similar quality.
Beyond the sporting competition, political options to pressure Infantino are also on the table. Among them is a boycott of FIFA's work, including non-attendance at Council meetings and refusal to ratify certain decisions. Discontent has culminated after the collapse of the controversial FIFA Forward Enterprises (FFE) project, through which Infantino planned to open up part of commercial revenues to private investors.
UEFA has already taken concrete steps. It has been confirmed that it sent a letter to the 56-year-old Infantino, informing him that it is considering legal action precisely over the rejected proposal for a private equity stake. On Monday, Wales became the first national federation to formally withdraw its support for the current FIFA president.
Although the pressure comes from the most powerful football associations, such as those in France, Spain, and England, Infantino's fate could depend on quite different players. According to FIFA's statutes, convening an Extraordinary Congress requires 20 percent of the total 211 member associations, and UEFA with its 55 members could theoretically trigger that process alone. The Congress would then have to be held within three months.
However, for any potential removal at that Congress, the votes of small football nations, which heavily rely on FIFA's development funds, are crucial. During the 2023-2026 cycle, member associations are entitled to up to $3 million for development projects, an increase from the $2 million in the previous cycle. This money is negligible for wealthy associations but vital for the survival of football in countries like Bhutan or Vanuatu.
The example of Vanuatu, an island nation with around 340,000 inhabitants, perfectly illustrates Infantino's strategy. The team is currently ranked 160th in the FIFA rankings and sixth in Oceania. FIFA allocated $4.15 million to Vanuatu for the construction of a 6,500-seat stadium in the capital Port Vila, completed in 2022. The president of Vanuatu's football federation, Lambert Maltock, is also one of the eight vice-presidents of the FIFA Council.
Vanuatu's first professional footballer, Perth Glory defender Brian Kaltak, defended Infantino's record in a statement to Reuters. "First of all, he gave our president the opportunity to be part of FIFA, and then through development projects he tried to grow the game, not just in Vanuatu but in all third-world countries. It opens up more opportunities for a team like ours, for nations like ours to succeed. That has been a huge help," Kaltak said.
Critics, however, argue that this funding model has entrenched a system in which FIFA exchanges financial support for political influence. The final decision on Infantino's fate is expected at the FIFA Congress in April next year, and by then the football world could be the scene of the biggest political conflict in its modern history.
