Infantino to push again for new Club World Cup and Nations League

The power struggle over the future of the Club World Cup and a new international tournament, backed by a billion-dollar offer, should take centre stage at the latest council meeting of the world football governing body FIFA on Friday.

While FIFA president Gianni Infantino backs the revised club competition and the development of a global Nations League, the European confederation UEFA remains firmly opposed.

Accordingly sparks could be set to fly at the somewhat unlikely venue of the Kigali Convention Centre in the capital of Rwanda.

After various governance issues are dealt with, point four of the agenda for the council is the seemingly innocuous "Future of competitions" in which Infantino intends to present his revised concept.

The Club World Cup should continue to take place every year but be moved from a minor December spot, shortly before Christmas, to summer and be expanded from the current seven teams.

A previous proposal to hold a 24-club event once every four years was met with European anger at the last meeting in March.

Additionally, a Nations League - supplementing the UEFA version which started this season - would be incorporated into the global international calender.

Votes on Infantino's pet projects are not expected in Rwanda. Instead, the president aims to reach consensus the existing Club World Cup, and the Confederations Cup, should be replaced.

Details could then be worked out in the coming months.

As yet unconfirmed potential sponsors have caused a stir with a promised investment of 25 billion dollars - an amount which makes even FIFA take notice.

The Japanese multinational conglomerate Softbank is reportedly the firm involved although FIFA have not confirmed this.

The plans met huge resistance from both UEFA and the European Club Association and were, initially, dismissed. And UEFA is not prepared to roll over easily at the second attempt.

"I cannot accept that some people who are blinded by the pursuit of profit are considering to sell the soul of football tournaments to nebulous private funds," UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin told European Union ministers in May.

"Money does not rule - and the European sports model must be respected. Football is not for sale. I will not let anyone sacrifice its structures on the altar of a highly cynical and ruthless mercantilism."

But UEFA's position is not without self-interest either. It is the European Champions League which dominates the global market and European clubs are by far the richest in the world.

The Forbes list of the 20 most valuable clubs is already exclusively European - what would UEFA's members gain by introducing a global competition which could threaten their dominant position?

On the other hand, Infantino is seeking re-election as FIFA president next year and has promised member associations significantly raised sums for the development of global football.

New tournaments, with such corporate backing, would make fulfilling these promises much easier.