The blueprint is still being sketched in private meeting rooms, but its ambitions are enormous. Uefa and Concacaf — the governing bodies for European and North and Central American football — have begun serious talks about launching a joint Nations League tournament that would bring together all 96 of their member nations. The competition, which could debut as early as 2028, is being designed as an explicit rival to Fifa's authority at a moment when the world governing body is already fighting for its life. The timing is no accident.

Both confederations have been openly pushing for the removal of Fifa president Gianni Infantino following the World Cup sell-off controversy, and they appear to have decided that protest alone is not enough. By building their own biennial competition, they would gain financial independence and a powerful new bargaining chip. Because the matches would be played inside international windows that have already been agreed between clubs and federations, the organisers believe Fifa may have no legal power to block them. The format would mirror the tiered league systems that each confederation already runs separately.

League A would be the showpiece: Spain, France, England and Germany facing Mexico, the United States and Canada in competitive fixtures with genuine stakes. A knockout phase would follow, culminating in a final-four tournament in June. Revenue would be pooled, meaning smaller nations in the Caribbean or Central America would receive a meaningful share — a deliberate contrast to how Fifa's expanded World Cup has distributed its profits. The commercial logic is striking.