Fifa to ban European Super League players from the World Cup

Fifa president Gianni Infantino says players involved in any European Super League would be banned from representing their national teams, including the World Cup.

German magazine Der Spiegel revealed top European teams held secret discussions to create a such a set-up by 2021.

The news magazine said leaked files suggested clubs' plans to abandon their national leagues and associations.

It was Fifa's obligation to "protect football" said Infantino. 

He also reiterated Fifa's own plans for a Club World Cup was "the answer to such attempt to break away from the leagues" because it would "it would be a source of more revenues for the clubs and also for solidarity".

"Going back to the 1990s, we have experienced these attempts to break away outside of the structures," he added.

"Either you are in or out. If there are footballers who don't play organised football then that entails everything - national leagues, confederation competitions, the Euros and the World Cup.

"It is left to us to protect football and proffer solutions that benefit clubs as well as the world football community."

'We saved the system'

Der Spiegel also went ahead to claim the documents it obtained revealed Manchester City and Paris St-Germain overvalued sponsorship deals to meet up with Uefa's Financial Fair Play rules.

The clubs negotiated with Infantino in 2014, who was then general secretary of Uefa, to agree reduced punishments. - the magazine alleged

Paris St-Germain have been contacted for a response. However, City said they will not comment on the claims.

"We were just doing our job to save the system and we saved European club football.” Infantino said when addressing the claims 

"At that time, we worked with the information we had. But, if new information has been presented, I'm certain Uefa will look at it."