The Champions League is undoubtedly one of the biggest sports competitions in the world, and UEFA appear keen to make it grow further by tapping into the American market, which sees football as a less popular sport behind the likes of American football, basketball and baseball.
UEFA also see this as an opportunity to generate more revenue, and according to The Independent, talks are already underway to move the Champions League final from Europe to the United States, with this measure proposed to come into effect from the 2027-28 season onwards.
As per the report, UEFA and the European Club Association have entered into an exclusive negotiation period with Relevent Sports for global commercial rights to the Champions League from 2027. If a deal were to be completed, it would end the European football governing body’s relations with TEAM Marketing, with whom they have been partners with for over 30 years.
The idea of moving European football matches is not a new one, as La Liga were working on the possibility of taking Barcelona’s home fixture against Atletico Madrid over to the United States, although a deal could not be agreed in the end. Meanwhile, the newly-revamped Club World Cup, which will feature Real Madrid and Atleti, is being played in the country next summer.
According to the report, Relevent Sports “are on the brink” of striking a deal with UEFA, and this would make it a bigger reality that the Champions League final would be moved from Europe to the United States. Understandably, this would likely be a decision that is met with a lot of criticism and pushback, especially from supporters.
It remains to be seen how this situation develops in the coming weeks and months. There is no doubt that it is a controversial measure, and one that fans across Europe are unlikely to welcome.
I’m in the US, and this is a horrible idea. It’s the European championship. It should be played in Europe. Scheduling preseason friendlies and so forth to grow the game is one thing, but league and cup matches should be off limits. Not only is it extra wear and tear on the players, but the hometown fans of these clubs are negatively impacted as well.
The continuous money grubbing by the governing bodies is disgusting, and it needs reining in.
Indeed, this is a bad idea that they keep doing for some time now. It’s a kick in the nuts to every loyal fan who comes to support their team at every game.