For a long time, it was a persistent but unconfirmed rumor. It might have been justified to keep it secret for a while. However, in today’s world, such big news can hardly stay hidden for too long. That’s why the recent interview of UEFA’s president, Aleksander Čeferin, with the American podcast «Men in Blazers», was a bombshell: he admitted that it is very likely that some Champions League matches will take place in the U.S.A. This revelation caused a frenzy among the best online bookmakers, news agencies, and anyone related to the topic.
He said that the talks started a long time ago. But some international events, such as Euro 2024 and the next three finals in Istanbul, London, and Munich, delayed the deal. This implies that the earliest possible date for any matches on the U.S. soccer fields would be after 2026.
He also acknowledged that the main motivation for the plan is the soaring popularity of soccer in the U.S. He claimed that the TV ratings for 30 of the Euro matches were higher than those of the NBA finals and matched those of the Super Bowl.
He explained that Americans are ready to pay a lot of money for the best quality. Since UEFA gives back 97% of the money to the clubs, it needs to maintain high revenues. The sponsorships are already high and they will go even higher if this happens.
The biggest issue that needs to be solved is the time difference. He said that playing matches on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 3 p.m. will not work. Therefore, there must be some research to find the best dates and times for the matches to be held and make an impact.
There have been no official reactions from any of the clubs yet. Playing matches in the U.S.A. would mean adapting to new conditions, unfamiliar fields, and many other big and small problems. They already complain about the number of matches they have to play every year. Adding the distance makes things harder. However, there might be some kind of reward or motivation for them to see the proposal as a positive one.
For novice bettors, high-rollers looking for bigger winnings, professional tipsters, and betting platforms, it would create a new range of opportunities. They would need a lot of research to come up with good odds and offers for matches with completely new factors.
