According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the conflict between FIFA and UEFA has a long history, and it will fully erupt after the 2026 World Cup.
Like all power struggles that erupt at a certain point, the roots of the conflict between Ceferin and Infantino, and between UEFA and FIFA, lie in the past. At that time, all ambitions, strategies, and the cracks that later surfaced were still encased in the shell called diplomacy.
The first person to bring these two adversaries to the forefront was Florentino Pérez. In December 2019, the Real Madrid president presented Gianni Infantino with his vision for a European Super League: creating the top 20 teams from the five major European leagues of England, Spain, Germany, Italy, and France. This idea drew inspiration from the NBA and incorporated the American private equity giant CVC, even going a step further than André Agnelli's "Super Champions League" proposal within the UEFA and ECA framework, which envisioned a more limited and prioritized pool of participants. Infantino smelled the money in the proposal and accepted it.
