Players to be banned from World Cup and Euros if they join breakaway 'Super League'

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup - UEFA Preliminary Draw - Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland - December 7, 2020 General view of the World Cup trophy during the draw [FIFA/Kurt Schorrer]

FIFA and its six confederations have announced that any player joining a breakaway super league will be banned from competing in any of their major international tournaments.

Speculation has been rife over the last 12 months that Europe's major clubs could form a lucrative breakaway competition in a move that would see an unprecedented change to the English league structure.

Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool have been tipped as potential members, as well as other powerful clubs from across the continent including Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.

But those rumours have now been dampened by FIFA, UEFA, AFC, CAF, Concacaf, CONMEBOL and OFC who have joined forces to condemn any such plans.

In a joint statement, they said: "In light of recent media speculation about the creation of a closed European “Super League” by some European clubs, FIFA and the six confederations (AFC, CAF, Concacaf, CONMEBOL, OFC and UEFA) once again would like to reiterate and strongly emphasize that such a competition would not be recognised by either FIFA or the respective confederation.

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - UEFA Congress - Beurs van Berlage Conference Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands - March 3, 2020 FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the UEFA Congress [REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo]

"Any club or player involved in such a competition would as a consequence not be allowed to participate in any competition organised by FIFA or their respective confederation.

"As per the FIFA and confederations statutes, all competitions should be organised or recognised by the relevant body at their respective level, by FIFA at the global level and by the confederations at the continental level.

"In this respect, the confederations recognise the FIFA Club World Cup, in its current and new format, as the only worldwide club competition while FIFA recognises the club competitions organised by the confederations as the only club continental competitions.

"The universal principles of sporting merit, solidarity, promotion and relegation, and subsidiarity are the foundation of the football pyramid that ensures football’s global success and are, as such, enshrined in the FIFA and confederation statutes.

"Football has a long and successful history thanks to these principles. Participation in global and continental competitions should always be won on the pitch."