82,262 fans attended MetLife Stadium during the first friendly match between Manchester United and Arsenal in the USA. Credit: Getty Images/Stuart MacFarlane
The United States World Cup organizers have said they would “die” for the opportunity to host a competitive Premier League match, which could reignite talk of a so-called “39th game”.
< p>The idea of holding an additional round of matches abroad was first proposed in 2008, but was never implemented due to criticism from fans and the media, despite the fact that some clubs supported it.
America is due to host the World Cup along with Canada and Mexico in 2026, and one of the country's most famous host cities says it has a strong desire to host Premier League matches there.
Phil Murphy, a Democratic governor from New Jersey who is heavily promoting Metlife Stadium – home of the NFL's New York Giants and New York Jets for the 2026 World Cup Finals – said football would be rescheduled A Premier League in the US would be a dream.< /p>
“I can say for sure that we would be dead if there was a real competitive game anywhere in America,” Murphy said.
In recent years, some clubs have been known to explore the possibility of reviving the Game 39 debate. However, key insiders point out that the political hurdles caused by the Super League furor make it highly unlikely.
And while league sources say there are no plans to explore overseas participation anytime soon, England's top echelons are stepping up efforts to capitalize on their popularity in the US and last week opened an office in New York for the first time.
Instead of playing regular league matches abroad, the league agreed in April that it would host its first-ever pre-season tournament in the US, the first Premier League summer series to feature eight top-flight teams including Chelsea and Newcastle. “. This is the second league-related competition to take place outside of England after the Premier League Asia Trophy.
In February 2008, Premier League clubs agreed to explore the possibility of holding an additional round of matches abroad at five different venues, with cities will bid for the right to hold them. The plan called for four Premier League teams to go to each stadium, each playing a game on Saturday and Sunday.
Murphy said he hoped the Premier League – or UEFA with the Champions League – would embrace the idea. just as the NFL has done with competitive overseas matches.
The NFL's so-called International Series includes games played in England, Mexico and Germany, but so far the Premier League has resisted adopting something like this. .
“I know the clubs weren't thrilled about it. it's in Europe,” said Murphy, who was at MetLife Stadium on Saturday to watch Manchester United play Arsenal.
“I think Manchester United and Arsenal see it as a good brand, putting their best players there, 82,000 fans in New York/New Jersey. I'd like to think that [the Premier League match here] will take place.”
He added: “[Equally] Barcelona could play Real Madrid in New Jersey in some sort of moment of the regular season or in the Champions League game. I would love it.
“The NFL is a good model. They play real games in Europe with great success. I would just urge the Champions League and UEFA to play here.”
Moreover, Murphy, who was asked by US President Joe Biden to be part of the US men's and women's delegations to the World Cups in Qatar and New Zealand, respectively, but not was able to take on any of these roles, lobbying for the choice of MetLife stadium. as the venue for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final.
He expects New Jersey/New York to eventually host eight or nine World Cup matches, but aims to beat cities like Los Angeles, Dallas and Miami. the preferred choice for the finals.
Murphy, who owns the NJ/NY Gotham FC women's team with his wife Tammy, said he expects a decision to be made in the fall.
Telegraph Sport analysis What was 39 game?
Richard Scudamore, the former Premier League executive chairman who oversaw the tournament's unprecedented growth, floated the idea of a new “international round” in early 2008.
The proposal, to be made in 2011, would see an additional round of matches added to the 38-game calendar, with two matches played in each of the five international cities that would bid for the right to host matches.
The league attempted to win support for the FA's proposal by promising to rearrange club fixtures to better accommodate players called up to the England squad. Scudamore also planned to meet FIFA, but after weeks of mostly negative reaction, the Premier League announced that it was reviewing its proposals, and Scudamore later stated that the competition needed to “come up with something that responds to more ticks”.
How do Premier League clubs feel about playing abroad?
Executives downplayed the likelihood that talks would be raised again when contacted by Telegraph Sport. However, with only four teams starting the new season entirely under English management, clubs are likely to take heed once they are presented with projected profits.
In 2008, top team managers hoped that the Scudamore plan would provide a 10 percent increase in their annual income. Radical ideas have surfaced in recent years as well.
There has been a much-criticized European Super League plot, and most recently Chelsea's Todd Boly put forward the concept of an All-Star Game that could supposedly be played overseas.
“Ultimately, I hope the Premier League learns a little bit from American sports,” he said last year. “And it's really starting to figure out, why don't we have a tournament with the worst four sports teams, why not an All-Star Game?”
Why is it moving forward?
US World Cup organizers say they will “die” for the opportunity because the US market is buying English football like never before. Since 2013, NBC's Premier League Saturday Breakfast has regularly received over a million views and has reached “40 million unique people” according to official figures.
There are currently 30.6 million Premier League fans across the Atlantic, according to a separate study by Nielsen Sports. Profits inevitably rise.
Having roughly $1 billion in 2013, the league is now receiving $2.7 billion as part of its six-year term ending in 2028, and there is every reason to expect that figure to rise again when the deal is up for auction in the coming years.
A week after Lionel Messi made his debut for Inter Miami, the Premier League announced that it was opening an office in New York for the first time.
Will overseas play ever start?
While some clubs may eventually push to re-examine the possibility, the main deterrent to high-profile players in the Premier League will be the threat of government regulation. that still hangs over them.
While watching the protests in the streets, the clubs involved in the Super League conspiracy in 2021 are well aware of how much their fans value traditional match schedules.
“In fact, I think the regular season Premier League matches in the US are even further away than they were when it was first raised in 2008,” said one of the key executives. “The intensity and passion of the fans can always be high, but so is the activity and dissatisfaction, especially with respect to ownership. I just don't see how the clubs are going to handle it.”
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