European football leaders are planning to hold Champions League matches in the United States, China or the Middle East to expand the competition to a global audience, according to reports.
UEFA’s executive committee meets this week in Croatia, before the European Club Association (ECA) holds its general meeting in Istanbul.
According Athleticism (opens in a new tab)one of the topics of discussion will be the possibility of taking the Champions League outside of Europe.
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is among the influential figures backing the idea of moving the games to other major markets.
Al-Khelaifi sits on the executive committee of UEFA and is president of the ECA.
The idea has yet to be explored in detail, but the initial concept would be to move group matches overseas rather than important knockout matches.
The Super Cup could also be moved outside the continent, and UEFA are considering expanding the competition to four teams, instead of a straight shootout between the Champions League and Europa League winners.
This is a concept that some European league bodies have already embraced.
The Italian Super Cup was first held abroad in 1993, when AC Milan faced Torino in Washington, and has since been staged once more in the United States, four times in China and twice in Qatar.
This season’s event, between Serie A winners Milan and Coppa Italia holders Inter Milan, will be held in Saudi Arabia for the third time in five years.
The Spanish Super Cup was expanded to a four-team format in 2019 and has also been taken to Saudi Arabia twice in the past three years.
