Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced on the creation of its own League of Nations. The decision was made as part of a strategy aimed at developing football in the region, increasing the number of matches and increasing the stability of the calendar for national teams.
The organization stressed that in recent years, the efficient use of the international match calendar has become more challenging due to rising operational costs and logistical difficulties. These factors have led to the need to create a more sustainable tournament system for national teams.
AFC secretary-general Datuk Seri Windsor John said the creation of the Nations League would be an important step forward in efforts to support the development of national teams across the Asian continent. According to the functionary, through the introduction of the new tournament, the organization will take control of “ensuring constant access to matches, while simultaneously solving logistical and financial problems.”
“Beyond the sporting benefits, we are also seeing strong interest and growing demand from our commercial partners for the Nations League competition, reflecting its attractiveness to fans, broadcasters and stakeholders,” said Datuk Seri Windsor John.
Information about the format and timing of the tournament will be discussed later by the AFC committees.
In 2018, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) announced the launch of the Nations League. It was expected that the new tournament would replace friendly matches and increase competition between teams of comparable levels.
The current champion of the UEFA Nations League is the Portuguese national team. Last summer, Roberto Martinez’s team beat Spain in the final (2:2 regular time, 4:3 penalty shootout).
