UEFA and FIFA Rift Takes a Dramatic Turn

(UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin And FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports)

UEFA and FIFA have been locked in a bitter dispute over plans to bring in private investors for the World Cup.

European football's top body threatened to pull all its teams out of FIFA competitions, calling the proposal a "shady backroom deal."

But that standoff is now set to endsources say UEFA will likely drop its boycott threat after getting promises that FIFA won't try this kind of move again.

The drama has overshadowed this week's Champions League draw, which took place in Monaco as UEFA executives and European clubs met to discuss the row.

The fallout matters because UEFA didn't want to lose its united front in pushing for FIFA boss Gianni Infantino to step down.

On the pitch, Paris Saint-Germain are gunning for a third straight European title after winning the competition last season.

Only Real Madrid in the 2016-2018 era have managed three in a row over the past fifty years.

PSG's manager believes they have a shot, though he acknowledged it will be incredibly tough.

This is the third year of the new Champions League format, where all thirty-six teams compete in one big pool with eight different opponents each.

The richest clubs in Europe continue to dominate.

England has five teams in the competition Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Aston Villa while Spain also has five, including Real Betis making their return after twenty years away.

A few surprise teams earned their spots.

Como, managed by former Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas, qualified for their first time.

Azerbaijan's Sabah came through the qualifying rounds to make their debut, and Austria's LASK pulled off a stunning comeback against Celtic to reach the main draw.

Matches kick off in early September, with the final scheduled for June 5, 2027 in Madrid.