New WLA President De Siervo Renews Push To Play League Games Abroad

WLA stays neutral on FIFA election as De Siervo takes charge

WLA president Luigi De Siervo says leagues should be allowed to play one match overseas, after Serie A’s Perth plan was blocked.

Serie A CEO Luigi De Siervo has been elected WLA president for four years at the association’s 10th anniversary summit in Prague...

Newly elected World Leagues Association president Luigi De Siervo has renewed the push for domestic fixtures to be played abroad.

De Siervo backed the drive to let leagues stage games outside their home country, while insisting football must strike the right balance over the number of matches played.

The Serie A chief executive was nominated for the role in Prague, Czech Republic, at a two-day summit bringing together the 51 leagues represented by the WLA for its 10th anniversary, hosted by the Czech league association.

The Italian will hold the post for the next four years, outlining a manifesto built on stronger representation for national leagues and closer ties with international organisations.

The move comes amid a growing squeeze on players, with competitions like the Club World Cup and an expanded World Cup eating into the traditional football calendar.

Taking on a role he described as ‘a great honour’, De Siervo said deeper dialogue between the WLA and governing bodies such as FIFA and UEFA will be central to his time in charge.

Speaking at his press conference, he explained: “In the past, the situation has not been great. We tried to change; we have started new discussions today. It is so important that the big decisions involve, from the beginning, our association.

“We represent the top leagues in the world and all the decisions affect our players and our clubs.”

Serie A is far from alone in weighing up the idea of taking a league fixture abroad. Back in 2024, Italy’s top flight had been cleared to stage AC Milan’s clash with Como in Perth, Australia a fixture that would have broken new ground for the competition.

The WLA marked its 10th anniversary in Prague 🇨🇿 and elected @LuigiDeSiervo, as its new Chair for the next four years. ⚽️ Full media release ⬇️ https://t.co/JaPdYxo9jn https://t.co/dJPcM4cilb

— World Leagues Association (@WorldLeaguesWLA) November 13, 2026

The proposal became mired in controversy before it was ultimately abandoned when the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) intervened to block it. De Siervo, however, insists the door has not closed on taking a domestic game beyond a league’s own borders.

He said: “We think that it is important that all the leagues have the right to play one match outside of the country. Not more, not less. It's a good opportunity, because some countries need to have the opportunity to create something new in some new area.”

“If you analyse American sports, NBA, NFL, they start to play in Europe - why? Because they need to have new audiences. This is the future; it's not against local competitions, we are totally focused on that, but it's a clear and great opportunity for the system to have one match per year outside of the country.

When pressed on it further, he added: “I think it's impossible to play a league match outside of your country; it can happen for the cup...

“If you play just in your country, you maintain your audience, but you cannot grow... In Serie A, we organise 423 matches; we are talking about just one.”

While LaLiga and Serie A have seen league games rejected in the USA and Australia respectively, other showpiece fixtures the Italian Super Cup, the Spanish Super Cup and France’s Trophee des Champions  have all been staged away from their home nations.

Tomorrow marks the WLA's 10th Annual Meeting! 🌍⚽️ The World Leagues Association is celebrating its 10th anniversary from 11–13 November in Prague, Czechia 🇨🇿. 10 years of growth and building cooperation across professional football leagues. 🤝 #WLA | #LFA https://t.co/LhMcQp0H76

— World Leagues Association (@WorldLeaguesWLA) November 10, 2026

Despite its influence, the WLA has no vote on matters affecting its own leagues. It cannot vote in elections for the presidencies of international or continental organisations, and when asked who it would like to see win the upcoming FIFA election in March, De Siervo said: “We don't discuss. It's a specific decision for the FAs.”

When pressed on who he personally would like to see take the job, De Siervo answered: “I know very well the system, I know very well Gianni (Infantino, FIFA president), but we will wait and analyse what is going to happen.”

General secretary Jerome Perlemuter added: “For the World Leagues Association, what's important beyond the personality who will eventually be voted by the associations, we're not voting, it's that the governance evolves into something where national leagues can really have an influence on football issues.

“The national leagues are 4,000 clubs and 130,000 professional players. Decisions that are made in football cannot be made without national leagues, and this is the purpose of this organisation.”

Its board features heavyweights such as the Premier League, LaLiga and the Bundesliga, with the WLA representing national leagues across six continents.