UEFA's "bitter division" with FIFA over proposals for a global nations league were underlined by the European body taking action to register trademarks for such a competition in the U.S. and Europe, according to Martyn Ziegler of the LONDON TIMES. A logo and trademark were registered in the U.S. in December for the "Global Nations League" and the "World Nations League" by UEFA. Similar registrations were made in the European Union last April, shortly after FIFA first outlined its proposals. FIFA wants to organize a global nations league along with a revamped Club World Cup. FIFA President Gianni Infantino told execs last year that investment worth a minimum of $13B had been pledged by a consortium for the nations league competition and $12B for the new Club World Cup. Infantino was "unable to persuade" UEFA to accept the plan, however it is "strongly opposed" to a FIFA-organized nations league and has a number of objections to the 24-team Club World Cup proposal. UEFA said that it started making the trademark applications in '17 -- "well before" FIFA's proposal -- when it was in talks with other confederations about globalizing its Nations League (LONDON TIMES, 2/15).
