Thursday’s draw for this season’s Champions League has been somewhat overshadowed by the latest developments in the dispute between UEFA and FIFA over plans to bring private financing into the World Cup, with European football’s governing body expected to drop a threatened boycott of global competitions. UEFA, whose clubs and national teams dominate football’s global economy, reacted furiously when it emerged in late July that Gianni Infantino’s FIFA was aiming to create a commercial subsidiary to run its biggest events, such as the World Cup and Club World Cup.
The proposal would have allowed private investors to acquire stakes in a company created under the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) initiative. Meanwhile, in the men’s game, the focus reverts back to the cream of club football in the aftermath of the World Cup in North America. With the leading leagues in Europe getting going again, the continent’s elite will discover later Thursday who they will face in the league phase of this season’s Champions League. Paris Saint-Germain will begin their quest to win a third consecutive title after retaining the European Cup at the end of last season by beating Arsenal on penalties in the final in Budapest. Elite European club football is becoming increasingly polarised, and the continent’s richest teams will again feature prominently and take away the majority of the riches on offer.
The Real Madrid team of 2016 to 2018 are the only side in the last 50 years to have been European champions three years running. The league phase will conclude in late January, while this season’s final will be played at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid on June 5, 2027.
