UEFA want to play Champions League games outside Europe.

UEFA wants to play Champions League games outside Europe as they look to expand the global audience of the most popular club competition in the world.

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The Champions League is already facing an overhaul in 2024 when the number of teams in the group phase of the competition will be expanded from 32 to 36.

Rather than the current eight groups of four teams, under the new format, each club will play eight league stage games against different opponents over a ten-week period.

However, that is not enough for some of the more powerful executives on UEFA committees, who see the enormous commercial possibilities of taking the game outside Europe, with China, the USA, and the Middle East touted as possible venues. With most of the leading teams now having a global fan base, this would give those in different countries a chance to see their favourite team in action.

To back up the arguments for such a move, a recent survey found that 34% of football fans in China and 28% in the US were influenced by the staging of a major event or competition to start following the sport.
And it would also help attract more sponsors and commercial partners.

Any such moves, though, are likely to be bitterly opposed by fan groups who would argue that moving games out of the continent would undermine the bond between club and supporters and unfairly penalise those that travel with the team home and away.

It also may not prove popular with managers and players because of the time and travel involved. There should also be concerns that this may be the introduction of a European Super League in a different format.

Already, the new format of the competition will have a major detrimental impact on domestic cup competitions, with proposals to do away completely with FA Cup replays, the oldest cup tournament in the world.

Given the money involved, the clubs who form part of the Champions League will have a natural tendency to want to focus their efforts and best resources there, to the detriment of their domestic leagues.

It is also more likely to exacerbate the gap between the have and the have-nots in Europe, and the clubs with the most money will continue to attract the best players, making it increasingly unlikely that teams like Leicester City or Lille can win their respective leagues.

In other words, the very scenario that caused such an enormous backlash when the idea of the European Super League was first floated is in danger of being introduced by stealth.

There are precedents for staging matches outside the home base. The NFL have been doing it for years, regularly staging games in London, Mexico, and, from this year, Germany. Major League Baseball has announced its own plans to stage games overseas, whilst football has also dipped its toe in the water, with Serie A in discussions with Abu Dhabi to host the Italian Super Cup final in the Gulf state on a regular basis.

However, if UEFA gets its way, this could be the thin edge of what may become a very thick wedge.