The Athletic FC Podcast UEFA v FIFA & the battle for club football’s future
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Sep 8, 2025 Matt Slater and Adam Crafton, reporters for The Athletic, join Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe, to dive into the clash between UEFA and FIFA over club football's future. They discuss the transformative effects of the Club World Cup and its implications for governance. The trio also highlights the pressing need for reforms to balance finance disparities while safeguarding player welfare amidst ambitious tournament expansions. Finally, they explore the controversial idea of hosting domestic games abroad and its impact on local fan cultures.
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Europe Still Dominates Club Football
- European club football remains the dominant global force by revenue and on-field success despite challenges from other regions.
- Governance, legal challenges and expanded club competitions are reshaping power between clubs, UEFA and FIFA.
Regulators Wearing Market Hats Creates Legal Risk
- FIFA and UEFA face legal pressure because they act as both regulators and market participants, creating conflicts of interest.
- Repeated legal defeats may force governing bodies to act more like impartial regulators and less like competitors.
Club World Cup Paid Off But Threatens Calendar
- The Club World Cup paid clubs well and felt like a lucrative summer tour but generated little lasting buzz beyond participants.
- Making it biennial risks cannibalising Champions League value and will intensify calendar conflicts.