Nasser Al-Khelaïfi wants to extend his influence far beyond Europe. The president of PSG and European Football Clubs (EFC) announced in Copenhagen his plan to create “World Football Clubs” (WFC), a new organization designed to represent the interests of clubs on a global scale.
The announcement was made during the EFC General Assembly in Denmark. After significantly expanding the European organization in recent years, Al-Khelaïfi now believes a new structure is needed to give clubs from every continent a voice. “The time has come to create World Football Clubs. Because every club in the world deserves to be represented, to have a voice and better chances of succeeding,” he said.
A global organization to represent football clubs
The WFC would go beyond the European framework of the EFC. Football’s six continental confederations primarily represent national associations, while Al-Khelaïfi’s project would provide international representation specifically for clubs. It could operate as a global clubs’ union, defending their interests on issues such as the international calendar, representation within governing bodies, revenues and solidarity mechanisms.
The PSG president argues that such a development is justified by the increasingly global nature of club football, with players, owners, sponsors and supporters now operating far beyond national and continental borders. However, the project remains at an early stage, with its legal structure, governance system, membership requirements and potential powers in relation to FIFA yet to be defined. Al-Khelaïfi nevertheless wants to move quickly, saying that “world football needs it and it needs to happen as soon as possible.”
The initiative builds on the rapid growth of the EFC, formerly known as the European Club Association (ECA), which now represents more than 800 men’s and women’s clubs from 55 countries according to its official figures. The creation of the WFC could also alter the balance of power at the top of world football. Reuters has described the project as a potential new institutional force alongside FIFA, although Al-Khelaïfi has not presented it as a rival organization. His stated objective is to take the model developed with the EFC and expand collective club representation worldwide.
