Al‑Khelaifi pushes the creation of World Football Clubs
The president of Paris Saint‑Germain, Nasser Al‑Khelaifi, announced on Tuesday at the 33rd assembly of the European Football Clubs (EFC) in Copenhagen the intention to create a body that brings together football clubs from around the world.
Proposal for a global body
Nasser Al‑Khelaifi, Qatari and president of both PSG and the European Football Clubs, previously known as ECA, presented the initiative during the opening of the meeting. He did not offer further details about the structure or operation of the new entity. The proposal is framed within the search for common benefits for clubs inside and outside Europe.
"We create benefits for clubs in Europe and outside Europe, and that is why now is the time to create World Football Clubs, because world football needs it and this must happen as quickly as possible," Al‑Khelaifi told the delegates present.
Context and reactions
Al‑Khelaifi highlighted that at the World Cup last summer, 857 players came from European clubs, which corresponds to the representation of 33 national teams out of the 48 participants. He also referred to the controversy generated by the FIFA president Gianni Infantino's project to commercialise its competitions with private capital, a project that was halted after strong criticism.
"It is truly sad to see the current situation. We are wasting time with problems, issues. Football works when we listen to each other, when we are transparent among ourselves," the PSG executive affirmed.
In the same statement, Al‑Khelaifi asked the president of UEFA, Aleksandr Ceferin, to stand for re‑election in 2027, arguing that "football needs great leaders such as you" and citing "more than 900 clubs of the EFC" as support.
The president also announced a reform in the way the EFC operates, ensuring that all clubs will have "one vote and one voice on the board" of the body, which aims to democratise decision‑making.
Finally, he projected that the new structure will generate "more than €20 billion in the next four years", a record in football, and that around "€2 billion" will be allocated to solidarity mechanisms, youth and women's football.
The information comes from Amandine Noel, collaborator of Icon Sport MUNDODEPORTIVO.