Al-Khelaifi calls for a worldwide football club body
Paris Saint-Germain and European Football Clubs president Nasser Al-Khelaifi proposed on Tuesday the creation of a new body bringing together clubs from all over the world. He made the announcement at the 33rd EFC assembly in Copenhagen, while also addressing the FIFA controversy and urging UEFA president Aleksandr Ceferin to stand for re-election in 2027.
ByInfoBlaugrana
5 min read
Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of Paris Saint-Germain and the European Football Clubs (EFC), put forward a far-reaching proposal on Tuesday to reshape club football at global level. Opening the 33rd edition of the organization's assembly in Copenhagen, the Qatari executive argued for a new body that would bring together clubs from every continent, moving beyond the current European structure.
- Al-Khelaifi wants to create a worldwide football club organization.
- The announcement was made at the EFC assembly in Copenhagen.
- He said 857 players at the 2025 World Cup came from European clubs.
- He criticized the current state of football and the FIFA controversy.
- He urged Aleksandr Ceferin to stand for re-election as UEFA president in 2027.
What Al-Khelaifi is proposing for club football
The core idea from the EFC president is to move beyond a continental scope and give football a common platform for clubs from Europe and beyond. He argued that the organization already creates benefits for European teams as well as clubs from other continents, and that the time has come to launch a truly global entity. His message was blunt: world football needs this body and it should happen as quickly as possible.
Now is the time to create World Football Clubs, because world football needs it and it must happen as soon as possible.
He did not spell out details about the structure, timing or exact scope of the proposed body. He did, however, offer a figure to underline the weight of European clubs in the elite game: at the World Cup held last summer, 857 players were attached to European teams, the equivalent of 33 of the 48 participating national sides.
The FIFA dispute and Gianni Infantino's stalled project
Al-Khelaifi used his opening speech to address, without naming him directly, the controversy surrounding FIFA president Gianni Infantino's plan to commercialize the governing body's competitions with private capital. That project was eventually shelved after a wave of criticism across the football world. The PSG president made no secret of his frustration with the current climate around the sport's governance.
He defended the idea that football works when the different parties listen to each other and operate with transparency, and lamented that time is being wasted on disputes and issues that pull the game away from its real priorities. His remarks reflect a widening gap between a significant part of the club landscape and FIFA's approach in recent months.
Al-Khelaifi urges Ceferin to run again for UEFA president
At European level, the EFC president offered a full-throated endorsement of Aleksandr Ceferin. He publicly asked the Slovenian executive to stand for re-election as UEFA president in 2027, a move aimed at securing institutional stability at a time of friction between football's governing bodies.
Football needs great leaders like you, and on behalf of the more than 900 EFC clubs, we ask you to stand for re-election next year.
The request comes at a moment when both club and national-team football are redefining calendars and formats. The EFC's explicit backing, representing more than 900 clubs, strengthens Ceferin's position against moves that have questioned UEFA's competition model.
A new power structure and record revenue projection
Beyond the worldwide body, Al-Khelaifi confirmed changes to how the EFC operates internally. He said all clubs will have a vote and a voice on the organization's board, a shift toward a more participatory model of governance at a time when clubs are pushing for greater influence over decisions that affect them.
The Qatari executive also attached numbers to the new commercial cycle. He stated that the organization will generate more than 20 billion euros over the next four years, a figure he described as a record in football. Of that total, he announced the distribution of around 2 billion through solidarity mechanisms and investment in youth and women's football.
What this means for PSG and European football
Al-Khelaifi's dual role as president of both PSG and the EFC gives his words real weight. His call for a worldwide club body suggests an evolution of the role historically played by the ECA, now the EFC, as the clubs' interlocutor vis-à-vis UEFA. If the idea moves forward, it would place clubs in a more active position in shaping global football, with direct implications for tournaments, calendars and the distribution of revenue.
Frequently asked questions
What has Nasser Al-Khelaifi proposed for world football?
He has floated the creation of a new organization called World Football Clubs that would bring together clubs from Europe and other continents. He announced it at the European Football Clubs assembly in Copenhagen, without giving details on its structure or timeline.
What is Al-Khelaifi's role in European football?
He is president of Paris Saint-Germain and of the European Football Clubs (EFC), formerly known as the ECA. In that dual role he acts as an interlocutor for more than 900 clubs in dealings with UEFA and other international bodies.
What did Al-Khelaifi say about Aleksandr Ceferin and UEFA?
He publicly asked Ceferin to stand for re-election as UEFA president in 2027. He did so on behalf of the more than 900 clubs that make up the EFC, as a show of institutional support.