European football's governing body Uefa and its North and Central American counterpart Concacaf have opened discussions on merging their respective Nations League competitions into a single tournament spanning 96 countries, marking another escalation in their standoff with Fifa.
The proposal, still in its early stages, would see the combined confederations create a new biennial competition potentially launching in 2028, following the next European Championship. The plan envisions a structure similar to the existing Nations League formats already used by both confederations: a league phase divided into tiers, leading into a knockout stage and a final-four showpiece to crown a champion.
Under the concept, the top tier would pit Europe's elite—Spain, France, England and Germany among them—against Concacaf's strongest sides, including Mexico, the United States and Canada, in competitive fixtures. Because Uefa and Concacaf have run their Nations League tournaments in parallel since 2018 during shared international windows, the logistical groundwork for a merged event is largely already established.
The blueprint calls for group-stage matches to be held across the September, October and November international windows, with knockout rounds in March and the finals played in June. Since these dates fall within international windows already sanctioned, it remains uncertain whether Fifa approval would even be required—though with Fifa president Gianni Infantino facing mounting internal pressure, that question may become secondary.
Details such as the number of teams per division are still being worked out, given that serious talks only began recently. However, all 96 member associations of Uefa and Concacaf are expected to be included, with revenues largely pooled to benefit smaller footballing nations financially.
The commercial upside is significant: top European clubs and national teams playing regular competitive matches on North American soil would carry major broadcast and sponsorship value. Mexico stands to benefit considerably as well. The Mexican federation (FMF) has reportedly grown frustrated with the financial constraints of competing solely within Concacaf and has explored the possibility of switching allegiance to Conmebol, South America's governing body—a move that would require Fifa's blessing. The appeal of facing European opposition regularly could, however, make a Concacaf exit less attractive.
Organizers intend for the new tournament to replace, rather than add to, the current international match calendar, with matches grouped geographically to limit travel demands on players.
There are also signs of broader appetite for such a global concept. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is understood to have shown interest in eventually joining a unified Nations League, although the AFC does not currently run an equivalent competition of its own, making any Asian involvement a longer-term ambition rather than an immediate step.
The cooperation between Uefa and Concacaf is not new—the two signed a memorandum of understanding in April at Fifa's congress in Vancouver to deepen collaboration. But their alliance has strengthened considerably since last month's controversy over Fifa's World Cup sell-off plan, which both confederations view as a serious governance failure.
Both organizations have signaled they consider Infantino's position increasingly untenable over his role in the so-called Fifa Forward Enterprise plan, and they are reportedly working together to identify a rival candidate to challenge him in next March's presidential election.
Uefa declined official comment, though a source familiar with the matter confirmed talks are ongoing. Concacaf also declined to address the reports directly but pointed to its history of cross-confederation cooperation, citing the participation of guest nations—including South American, Asian and Middle Eastern teams—in the Concacaf Gold Cup as evidence of its willingness to expand partnerships.
Based on reporting from The Guardian.