FIFA President Gianni Infantino has told the 32nd European Football Clubs (EFC) General Assembly that together the two organisations “are all equipped” to rise to the challenges facing the global game. Rebranded from the European Club Association (ECA) on the eve of their gathering in Rome, Italy, the EFC represents more than 800 men’s and women’s clubs from 55 nations. Chaired by Paris Saint-Germain President Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, the EFC’s key aims include strengthening the clubs’ collective voice, enhancing competition formats and reinforcing long-term strategic partnerships with governing bodies, such as FIFA. Mr Infantino and Mr Al-Khelaïfi renewed the Memorandum of Understanding between FIFA and the-then ECA in March 2023, extending their link through to the end of 2030. The FIFA President told attendees that long-term stability and collaboration between the two organisations was crucial for the game’s health.

“There are, going forward, a lot of challenges obviously, and we are all equipped to deal with all these challenges. We have a Memorandum of Understanding, but more important than that, we have a deep, deep bond, which brings us together, and we understand the need to work together for the benefit of players, of clubs, of leagues, of associations, of confederations and of FIFA and world football, ultimately,” Mr Infantino said. “(There are) a lot of challenges, but what I want to say is that all these challenges bring many opportunities, and the biggest opportunity for me is to find the unity between all of us, to advance together, to make the game of football stronger. If we criticise football, we don’t damage FIFA or UEFA or a league or an association, we damage the whole game. We stick together, we work together, we are united, we make our sport stronger and stronger and we will develop it here in Europe, coming from Rome, capital of the world, of course, to the entire world.” The FIFA President outlined themes for future consideration and discussion from transfers and the international match calendar to the game’s pyramid system. He also noted how the EFC had worked hand-in-hand with FIFA to make the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ – the first global club competition – “a huge success from every possible angle that you want to measure”.

“(It was) an incredible collaboration in the interest of football and in the interest, of course, of global football, and this is not taken for granted, dear Nasser, believe me. I understand that you have to defend, of course, European football, European clubs. You are the European Football Clubs. But you understand that there is more than just European football clubs in the world of football. And that’s why it’s important that we work together,” explained Mr Infantino, who emphasised the leading role EFC members play as the vanguard of football development worldwide. “Everywhere in the world, they look at European football clubs and what Europe does in football. So, you are, we are, an example for the entire world, and this was exactly the reason why we decided to create the new FIFA Club World Cup: to bring a new impetus to club football all over the world; to merge European clubs and clubs from the rest of the world; to create a competition that brings fans, players from all over the world together and that unites them in a new spirit, which should be for the benefit of everyone.”

FIFA also has the aim of developing the huge potential for growth in the women’s game. The EFC membership includes 139 women’s clubs and one of them, Arsenal FC, is taking part in the freshly launched FIFA Women’s Champions Cup™, which will be held in years when the new FIFA Women’s Club World Cup™ will not take place. Mr Infantino called on the EFC to help FIFA tailor bespoke competitions that suit the specific needs of the women’s game.

“We just launched the new FIFA Women’s Champions Cup at a global level. The finals will be played in London,” said Mr Infantino, referring to the Final Four to be staged in England between 28 January and 1 February 2026 and in which Arsenal will participate. “We have to boost women’s football with club competitions as well as national team competitions, and we should not just copy what is done for the men and think it works as well for the women. We have to come up with new concepts, but there are many people here in this room as well with great ideas in this respect.”