The Billion-Euro League Kicks Off: The Champions League Is Europe’s Trump Card Against Infantino

The Champions League begins Tuesday as UEFA’s strongest weapon in its escalating confrontation with FIFA president Gianni Infantino. The dispute has moved, for now, into a mud-slinging battle before U.S. courts.

UEFA has announced that it may pursue disciplinary action against Infantino. FIFA has responded by accusing the Europeans of running a “defamation campaign.” UEFA, according to the article, is prepared to try to remove the unpopular FIFA chief through legal action if necessary. His plans to privatize parts of the World Cup are seen by UEFA as having crossed a decisive line.

UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin has positioned the European organization as a counterweight to FIFA and Infantino. That stance has grown more pronounced after controversies surrounding the World Cup in North America, including the Iran affair, Donald Trump’s intervention over a red card and investor plans that later came to light.

Yet UEFA also knows how to turn football into a major business. The Champions League is its central product, and UEFA controls both the competition and its commercial exploitation. The tournament generates more than two-thirds of UEFA’s slightly more than €5 billion in revenue. Its income increased by almost €700 million compared with the previous season.

The strategy is familiar: more matches mean more revenue. The latest expansion has increased the field from 32 to 36 teams, introduced a league phase and added a playoff round that is effectively a round of 32. The article argues that these changes have not necessarily made the competition more attractive, particularly during the less compelling autumn phase before the knockout rounds.

UEFA nevertheless presents the system as serving football’s wider community. Article 69 of the Champions League regulations places sport before economic interests and commits UEFA to solidarity by providing lasting support to financially weaker clubs and associations. More than €3 billion of UEFA’s income flows to European competition participants. The organization also invokes its long-term financial stability and independence, especially in its dealings with FIFA.